


;J':~»(K.¥?^Ji-v^'ri 



'•"?^rp 



i 


■'^f:'^;= 


BmffM 


mM: 




Book ^ - 

Goiyriglit'N" 



COPYRIOHT DEPOSrr. 





DANIEL MILLER. 



Rambles in Europe. 



BY 



DANIEL MILLER, 

Author of "History of Reformed Church in Reading," "Early History 
of Reformed Church," "Pennsylvania German," etc. 



Reading, Pa. : 
DANIEL MILLER, 221 North Sixth St. 
I. M. BEAVER, 123 North Sixth St. 

1011. 






COPYRIGHT, 1911, BT 
DANIEL MILLER. 






©CI.A2S1)138 



PREFACE. 

On May 19, 1910, a compaMy of four friends — Rev. 
C. E. Creitz, D. D., Rev. J. F. Moyer, Rev. Henry 
K. Miller and Daniel Miller, all of Reading, Pa. , sailed 
from If ew York in the North German Lloyd steamship 
"Grosser Kurfuerst" for Europe. They spent three 
months profitably and delightfully in a tour through 
England, Scotland, France, Belgium, Holland, Ger- 
many, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. Covering more 
than 6,000 miles on the Atlantic Ocean and over 4,000 
miles on land, they visited some forty cities and towns, 
including the great capitals of the countries named. 
Moreover, the mountains Rigi, Jungfrau and Vesuvius 
were ascended. 

The tour was intended as a vacation trip, and it 
proved to be a season of rest and recreation. To visit 
and see the places about which we had read and heard, 
afforded the party great satisfaction. *<Seeing is be- 
lieving." We had believed before, but our knowledge 
of things was made more concrete. Travelling en- 
larges one's views and enriches the mind. It does one 
good to see how and where others live. We have seen 
how emperors, kings and princes live in their magnifi- 
cent palaces, and also how the very poor exist in their 
hovels. Standing at the tombs of men and women 
who were great in their day, and cut large figures in 
history, we were forcibly reminded of how all earthly 
glory vanishes. The rich and great meet together 
with the poor and lowly in death. 

A German saying tells us : *'Wenn Jemand eine 
Reise thut, kann er was erzaehlen. " (One who has 



IV PREFACE. 

travelled has something to tell.) The writer had spent 
much time in studying men and places before entering 
upon the trip, and during the tour made extended 
notes. During the trip and afterward he wrote a ser- 
ies of letters for the Reformed Church Record, A 
number of valued friends suggested that these notes be 
written out fully and published in book form. This 
would involve a vast deal of labor, but after due con- 
sideration the writer concluded to undertake the work, 
and herewith the reader has the result. 

These sketches are prepared for the general reader, 
and for this reason an effort has been made to impart 
as much information as possible. There are compara- 
tively few persons who can travel abroad. The great 
mass of people will never cross the ocean, and for these 
a book of this kind may be instructive and entertain- 
ing. Realizing how far this volume is from what it 
should be, the writer yet hopes that many may find as 
much pleasure in reading its pages as he found in pre- 
paring them. 

During the tour and in the preparation of this vol- 
ume the writer found valuable and helpful aid from 
Baedeker's Guide Books. Of the several books of this 
kind he regards Baedeker's as the best. 

Daniel Miller. 

Reading, Pa., May, 1911. 



INTRODUCTION. 



To introduce a book to a reader involves a respon- 
sibility similar to that of introducing one person to an- 
other. Like marriage, it should not be undertaken 
* ^unadvisedly or lightly," for it may affect the reader 
for weal or for woe. 

A good book is like a good friend, only more so. 
Its friendship is indestructible. It never resents either 
abuse, or neglect, or indifference. After long periods 
of separation and inattention, it is always prepared to 
resume the former relations of good will and fellow- 
ship. It holds no grudge agamst the offending party. 
On the other hand, a bad book has scarcely any lim- 
its for mischief. It may stain the soul, soil the heart, 
dull the conscience, misinform the intellect, and destroy 
the victim of its ignorance or baseness. 

One gladly assumes the responsibility for intro- 
ducing "Rambles in Europe" to any one who may pick 
up this volume. It is a veritable storehouse of in- 
formation on the lands and places which it describes. 
The author not only made a careful study of the litera- 
ture of his subject, but his practical eye and trained 
intelligence put him into possession of many interesting 
details which would escape the ordinary observer. 
Only good can come to the reader of this book. 

The volume before us should be especially interest- 
ing to members of the Reformed Church. Its writer 
has been a careful student of the history of his Church, 
a^d in his trip abroad he took special pains to gather 
information that would be valuable and instructive to 
the members of his own denomination. Not only did 



VI INTRODUCTION. 

he give much attention to the churches and cathedrals 
of Europe, but his interest in Reformed lands and 
places is evident in the entire volume. 

The author has also, through many years' training, 
acquired a simple, straightforward style that has ap- 
pealed to the rank and file of the membership of the 
Church, for whom he has written almost incessantly for 
nearly half a century, and his many friends who have 
read everything that has come from his pen, either in 
Pennsylvania German, or *='High German," or in 
English, will welcome this volume of travels. They 
will be glad to see Europe through his eyes. 

But this book is not only for members of the Re- 
formed Church. Its information is not denominational 
or sectarian. It is replete with facts and observations 
not only of great interest, but also of great value to 
any one who wishes to be intelligent on the subjects 
covered by this volume. 

I take great pleasure in introducing it to its future 
circle of readers. C. E. Creitz. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



EUROPE AND AMERICA ^^*9 

CHAPTER I.— A Sea Voyage : A Great Modern Steam- 
ship. I/ife on the Ocean 13 

CHAPTER II.— England : Plymouth, Reading,* Oxford* 

Stratford, Birmingham, Chester, I^iverpool, Carlisle... 23 

CHAPTER III.— City of I^ondon : The Immense aty. 
Great Bridges. Houses of Parliament. Westminster 
Abbey. St. Paul's Church. British Museum. Ivon- 
don Tower. Bank of England. Trafalgar Square 45 

CHAPTER IV.— Ivondon Continued : The Bible House. 
Churches. Windsor Castle. Art Galleries. Markets. 
The Poor, etc 65 

CHAPTER v.— Scotland: Glasgow. Scottish iakes. Edl 
inburg. The Castle. Old Churches. Holyrood Pal- 
ace. John Knox 81 

CHAPTER VI.— Scotland Continued : Edinburg.* * " Th4 
Covenanters. The Poor. Calton Hill. Great Forth 
Bridge. World Missionary Conference. Melrose Ab- 
bey. Abbottsford 93 

CHAPTER VII.— Belgium: Ostend. Bruges'. "* Ghent] 

Brussels. Waterloo. Antwerp. I^iege 105 

CHAPTER VIII.— The Rhine Country : Cologne. ' The 
Great Cathedral. St. Ursula Church. River Rhine. 
Rhine Country. Ehrenbreitstein. Drachenfels. The 
Mouse Tower. Coblentz. Old Castles 119 

CHAPTER IX.— Rhine Country Continued : Mayeiice. 
Worms. Ivuther Monument. Old Cathedral. Strass- 
burg. The Cathedral. Famous Clock. Speyer 135 

CHAPTER X.— City of Heidelberg : The Great Castle. 
Holy Ghost Church. Museum. University. Heili- 
genberg I49 

CHAPTER XI.— Switzerland : The I^ittle Mountain Re- 
public. The Alps. Convent of St. Bernard. Story of 
William Tell. The Rigi. The Jungfrau. Matter- 
horn. Pilatus 153 

CHAPTER XII.— Switzerland Continued^" Basel." The 
Churches. Monuments. Dance of Death. Zurich. 
Zwingli's Work. I/ucerne. The I^ion. Glacier Mills 179 

CHAPTER XIII.— Switzerland Continued : Farm Build- 
ings. Bern, the Capital. Town Clock. Postal Union 
Monument. Geneva. John Calvin's Work. St. Pe- 
ter's Cathedral. Calvin's Academy. University. Ser- 

vetus. Simplon Pass I95 

CHAPTER XIV.— Italy : Milan. Its Great "cathedrai.' 

Other Churches. Genoa. Pisa. Naples 213 



VIII TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

Pa«s 

CHAPTKR XV.— Italy Continued : Pompeii. Mt. Vesu- 
vius. Florence. Its Art Galleries. Venice, the City 
of Canals 229 

CHAPTER XVI.— City of Rome : The Eternal City. St. 
Peter's Church. The Vatican. Magnificent Churches. 
Roman Forum. Colosseum. Forum of Trajan. The 
Appian Way. Catacombs 255 

CHAPTER XVII.— Austria : Villach. Semmering Pass. 
Vienna. Royal Burial Place. Schoenbrunn Palace. 
Trolley Ride Through City 291 

CHAPTER XVIII.— Germany : Munich. Passion Play. 

Ober Ammergau 301 

CHAPTER XIX.— Germany Continued : Nuremberg. Its 
Castle and Tower of Torture. Dresden and its Art 
Gallery. Wittenberg, the City of L/Uther and Me- 
lancthon. Jueterbog and Tetzel 309 

CHAPTER XX.— City of Berlin: The German Capital. 
Emperor William II. "Unter den I^inden." Monu- 
ments and Public Buildings. Royal Palace. The 
Dom. Potsdam and Sans Souci. Charlottenburg 330 

CHAPTER XXI. -Holland: The Ivow Country. The Land 
of Canals and Windmills. Amsterdam. Royal Pal- 
ace. Historic Churches. Bible Hotel 355 

CHAPTER XXII.— Holland Continued: Quaint Villa- 
ges. Marken Island. Peculiar Costumes. Volandem. 
Edam. Siege of Harlem. The Hague. Rotterdam. 
Dort 367 

CHAPTER XXIII.— France : Paris, the Gay City. The 
Tuilleries. Notre Dame. Church of the Madeleine. 
The Great Art Galleries. Napoleon's Tomb. Palace 
of Versailles. Monuments, etc 379 

CHAPTER XXIV.— Homeward : A Long Journey Ended. 
Life on the Ocean. Sea Sickness. Early and Mod- 
ern Ships. Life's Voyage .v... 396 

II,I<USTRATIONS. 

Frontispiece — Portrait of Author. 

Cathedral at Strassburg 144 

Scene in Switzerland 195 

Cathedral at Milan 216 

Leaning Tower at Pisa 222 

Rialto Bridge, Venice 246 

Bridge of Sighs, Venice 251 

St. Peter's Church, Rome 258 

Arch of Titus, Rome 275 

Colosseum at Rome 277 

Royal Palace, Berlin 337 



EUROPE AND AMERICA- 

BY REV. J. F. MOYER. 

Tve wandered far from land to land, 

And crossed the billowy seas ; 

IVe seen the flags of empires vast, 

Flung out upon the breeze ; 

I've stood where great cathedrals lift 

Their domes into the sky, 

And where the ashes of the great 

In marbled grandeur lie. 

IVe seen the lands where Shakespeare wrote 

In measures rich and strong ; 

Where Milton dreamed of Paradise, 

And Burns burst into song ; 

And where for freedom and for right 

Great Cromwell fought and bled ; 

Where noble Bruce his Highland hosts 

To deeds of glory led. 

IVe been upon the mountain heights, 
Robed in eternal snows. 
And where in awful majesty 
Alps high o'er Alps arose ; 
Tve stood where 'mid the vine-clad hills 
The storied Rhine sweeps by ; 
Where lifts the frowning Drachenfels 
And far-famed Lorelei. 

I've been where, from the hoary past. 

Are myriad trophies stored, 

2 



10 EUROPE AND AMERICA. 

And where fair Art with lavish hand 

Her treasures rich hath poured ; 

T\e stood where centuries looked down 

From crumbling wall and tower ; 

Where seers and sages wrought and taught 

In many a classic bower. 

Vve been where Tell for liberty 

The haughty tyrant slew ; 

Where Calvin wrought for righteousness, 

Where Luther's trumpet blew ; 

IVe been where martyrs dared and died 

For the dear Master's name, 

And sped unto their heavenly home 

In chariots of flame. 

IVe been where once imperial Rome 

Her standards proud unfurled, 

And sent her conquering legions forth — 

The mistress of the world ; 

I've seen the plains of Waterloo, 

Once struck by war's red lance, 

And where before twin hosts went down 

The chivalry of France. 

But there's a land, a fairer land, 

The land we've left behind. 

That holds a high and foremost place 

Within the heart and mind ; 

Land of the brave, the true and strong, 

Land of our love and pride ; 

And where to set men ever free 

Our fathers bled and died. 



EUROPE AND AMERICA. 11 

Land where fond Nature lavishly 

Her choicest gifts bestows, 

And where the cup, on every hand, 

With plenty overflows ; 

Land where the child of lowliest rank 

Within thy wide domain 

To loftiest heights of usefulness 

And glory may attain. 

Land of the mountain and the plain, 
Land of the oak and pine, 
Thou art the richest, happiest land 
On which God's sun doth shine ; 
Land that doth every heart inspire 
That yearns for liberty ; 
Where'er in foreign lands I roam 
My thoughts turn back to thee. 

Land of our father's prayer and hope, 
Land by the Pilgrims trod ; 
Land where each child of man is free 
As the sunshine of our God, 
For thee I weave my choicest wreath 
Love's fancy can command. 
And crown thee, fairest of the fair. 
My own, my native land. 
Home, July 18, 1910. 



gambles in Europe. 




CHAPTER L— A SEA VOYAGE. 
A Great Modern Steamship.— Life On the Ocean. 

N Thursday, May 19, 1910, the great 
steamship '^ Grosser Kurfiirst'' sailed 
from New York with a large number of 
passengers. Among them were the four 
gentlemen named in the Preface. They 
were on the way to Edinburg, Scotland, 
to attend the World Missionary Con- 
ference, which commenced on June 14 
and closed on June 23. After the Con- 
ference they spent about three months in travelling on 
the continent. This was the first ocean voyage for all 
the gentlemen named, except Rev. Mr. Miller, who had 
crossed the Pacific Ocean three times and the Atlantic 
Ocean once. In 1901 he with his wife went for the 
second time westward to Japan, and in February, 1910, 
returned by way of Europe, so that they have journeyed 
entirely around the globe. 

The writer's long cherished desire for a tour of Eu- 
rope was at last being realized. During fifty years' la- 
bor in the printing office he had never enjoyed a real 
vacation. 

In our magnificent modern steamships sea voyages 
are a pleasure and devoid of great danger, as compared 
with what they were 150 years ago, when our fore- 
fathers came to America to establish new homes for 



14 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

themselves. Then the average voyage in sailing ves- 
sels occupied about three months, and the people had 
to subsist largely on salted meats and occupy uncom- 
fortable quarters. Many died on the way and were 
buried at sea. Hard and sad was their lot in numer- 
ous instances. Rev. John Guldin, the first Reformed 
minister in Pennsylvania, came here with his family in 
1710. They were thirteen weeks on the ocean, and the 
people had to live chiefly on salted meat boiled in salt 
water. One of their children died on the voyage and 
was buried in a watery grave. Such burials still oc- 
cur, but not so frequently. Now people can cross the 
ocean in from six to nine days, and first-class passengers 
live as well as they do at home. Second-class and steer- 
age passengers do not fare so well. What would our 
forefathers say, could they see our modern steamships ? 
Hundreds of friends had collected on the pier at 
New York to bid the passengers farewell. Amid 
thrilling scenes tlie ship gently glided out of her dock. 
The passengers on the ship and the large crowd on the 
shore cheered each other warmly, there was a general 
waving of handkerchiefs, and the steamer band played 
a popular piece. Soon the ship was under full head- 
way, and gradually our dear native land receded from 
our vision. But our group of tourists was happy and 
full of pleasant anticipations. 

While the ship was passing down the bay of New 
York to the ocean, there stood beside the captain on 
the bridge a man without uniform. This was the pi- 
lot, who guided the vessel out into the deep. He is 
thoroughly acquainted with the channel, and his ser- 
yices are needed to avoid rocks and sandbanks. At 



A SEA VOYAGE. 15 

Sandy Hook our steamer slowed down, and many pas- 
sengers looked over its side to witness the departure of 
the pilot. He was let down into a rowboat and then 
transferred to a nearby small steamboat, which then 
returned to the city. At the same time a mail pouch 
was transferred. It was the last opportunity of the 
passengers to mail letters to their friends before enter- 
ing upon the long journey across the ocean. 

As the pilot stood at his post on the ship we were 
reminded of that great Pilot of whom we sing in a 
beautiful hymn : 

"Jesus, Savior, pilot me 
Over life's tempestuous sea ; 
Unknown waves before me roll, 
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal ; 
Chart and compass come from Thee : 
Jesus, Savior, pilot me," 

The " Grosser Kurfiirst'^ is one of the largest of 
modern steamships. It is 582 feet long (about the 
length of a square in the city of Reading), 62 feet wide 
and 41 feet deep. It is splendidly furnished, and every 
possible comfort is afforded passengers. In a word, 
the ship is a floating palace, at least for first-class pas- 
sengers. The public rooms, corridors and cabins are 
richly carpeted. The steamer is lighted throughout 
with electricity. 

Through the courtesy of the chief engineer our 
party was permitted to inspect the machinery in the 
lower part of the vessel. There are a number of huge 
engines with a capacity of 9,700 horsepower. These 
operate the two screws which propel the great ship. 
The shafts are of solid steel, about 18 inches in thick- 
ness. Steam is generated in six great boilers, und^ 



16 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

which are 36 fires. A large number of stokers are con- 
stantly shoveling in coal. The ashes are blown into 
the sea. About 140 tons of coal per day is consumed, 
or nearly 1,300 tons during the trip from New York 
to Bremen. The vessel, when fully laden, draws 30 
feet of water. When leaving New York the ship car- 
ried 500 tons of drinking water, 360 tons of boiler wa- 
ter and 1500 tons of water as ballast, besides 6,000 
bales of cotton and much other freight. 

The " Grosser Kurfurst'' was built at Dantzig, Ger- 
many, in 1899, at a cost of $1,500,000. Some of the 
more recently built ships cost as much as $4,000,000. 
On the uppermost deck of our steamer are 16 life-boats 
of good size. These are for use in case of a shipwreck. 
Each boat is provided with a cask of drinking water, 
a quantity of hard bread, a compass, a light, etc. The 
provisions are renewed before each departure of the 
ship. Besides, each cabin is provided with life pre- 
servers. Every possible precaution is taken for the 
safety of the passengers. 

One of the interesting features of the ship is its 
wireless telegraph outfit. By this means the officials 
of the company in the several cities always know where 
the ship is, and the passengers, although in mid-ocean, 
may still comoiunicate with their friends, if necessary. 
It is a wonderful thing that telegraphic messages may 
be sent and received anywhere on the ocean. This is 
one of the greatest achievements of science in modern 
times. 

The ship is named after Frederick William, the 
great and noted Elector of Brandenburg, who was a 
wise and just ruler. After the revocation of the Edict 



A SEA VOYAGE. 17 

of Nantes in France, which was the signal for the fierce 
persecution of the Huguenots, William opened his coun- 
try as a place of refuge for these people, and many- 
thousands of them flocked to his realm. France per- 
haps did not know that it was driving away its best 
people. These French Protestants became excellent 
citizens of Brandenburg and helped to make that coun- 
try great, and their descendants became a prominent 
factor in crushing France in 1870. It is said that some 
forty of the principal officers and thousands of privates 
of the German army, which invaded and triumphed 
over France in that memorable war, were of Huguenot 
descent. Thus the persecuted Huguenots returned to 
France with a vengeance in the persons of their de- 
scendants. 

On the title page of the pamplet containing the list 
of passengers there was a portrait of Frederick Wil- 
liam, the Elector. On the Avail of the ship^s beautiful 
dining room is a portrait of his noble wife, Louisa Hen- 
rietta, a well-known Reformed lady, who composed a 
number of famous hymns, several of which appear in 
many of the le^sding collections of Protestantism. One 
of them is the hymn commencing with " Jesus, meine 
Zuversicht.'^ 

No one can form any adequate conception of the 
vastness of the ocean until he has once crossed it. Dur- 
ing eight days our ship moved onward, day and night 
without any intermission, at the rate of about fifteen 
miles an hour, unceasingly plowing its way through the 
waves for a distance of three thousand miles. Asa 
rule the sea was calm, but at times the vessel rolled 
considerably, so that some of the passengers walking 



18 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

on the decks appeared a good deal like intoxicated per- 
sons. 

As in our cities, extremes meet on such a ship. 
There are three classes of passengers — first, second, and 
third or steerage. There is a marked contrast between 
the quarters of the first and last classes, the first being 
surrounded not only with every needed comfort, bufc 
with real luxury, whilst the third enjoy neither. The 
former have fine rooms and eat their splendid meals 
while the band plays, but the steerage passengers have 
uncomfortable quarters and eat plain food. Thus even 
on the same ship the rich and the poor are differenti- 
ated. But it cannot be avoided. Such conditions have 
always prevailed, and will likely continue as long as 
the world. Whilst inspecting the steerage passengers 
one day I could not help saying to myself: " The Lord 
have mercy on the people who must cross the ocean in 
the steerage.'^ Several hundred thousand third-class 
passengers come to the United States each year. 

People on a ship are more sociable than when on 
land. They are somewhat limited in their movements 
and meet frequently, and are drawn to each other. In 
many instances friendships are formed on a voyage 
that last during life. The passengers form a little com- 
munity, and this makes the voyage pleasant. Between 
meals people walk and talk a great deal. Many a good 
story is told. Our party included three ministers. 
Sensible preachers, as well as other people, enjoy real, 
good humor. Sometimes we look at the waves of the 
sea, and think of the fact that they have been chasing 
each other during ages, even as they do now, and will 
continue to do so as long as the world lasts. Then we 



A SEA VOYAGE. 19 

watch passing steamers. Afar off they appear small, 
but their size increases as they approach us nearer. 
The approach is, however, in no instance close. They 
keep at a safe distance from each other. The ocean is 
large, and there is plenty of room for all. 

Among the interesting sights on the ocean that are 
eagerly watched by the passengers are the rising and 
setting of the sun. In the morning the sun seems to 
rise like a ball of fire out of the water, and in the same 
manner sinks into it in the evening. Unfortunately 
we did not have much sunshine during our voyage. On 
the evening of May 20 we were on the lookout for the 
great Halley^s comet in the western sky. We saw a 
star near the horizon, but were not certain that it ' as 
the comet. 

Another one of the sights at sea is that of birds. 
We saw many such in mid-ocean. How do they sub- 
sist and where do they rest? They live on the refuse of 
ships. A flock of birds called sea-gulls followed our 
ship a long distance. They frequently went down upon 
the water to pick up something, and then rose again 
above the vessel. It was an interesting sight to see 
these white birds on the sea. 

One afternoon a fog prevailed, and we could see 
only a short distance ahead of the ship. The loud fog 
horn blew every minute to warn other ships. In an 
hour or more the fog disappeared, and all danger was 
over. Should two ships like ours collide, the result 
would be frightful. 

About three-fourths of the passengers were Ger- 
mans, and nearly all spoke in their mother tongue dur- 
ing the voyage. 



20 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

When one is out upon the wide, trackless ocean, 
where for more than a week he sees nothing but heaven 
above and water around him, he feels his dependence 
upon God more than ever. Here one is helpless. He 
feels his insignificance. Under such circumstances it 
is a great consolation to know that the Lord rules. He 
is Master of wind and waves, and cares for His own. 
Here one derives unusual comfort from the answer to 
the first question of the Heidelberg Catechism. Truly 
we are the Lord's, and this is our comfort. He knows 
His children, no matter where they are or under what 
circumstances they are found. Thus by day and by 
night we can put our trust in Him and be assured that 
whatever may befall us, it shall be well with us. 

' As we stand at the edge of the ship and see the 
waves dashing against it, we are reminded of the expe- 
rience of the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, when a 
great storm arose and they were in fear of perishing. 
But they had Jesus on board, and to Him they ap- 
pealed for help. He arose and simply said, ^" Peace, 
be still," and there was a great calm. Jesus is still 
with His people to calm the storm, not only on the sea, 
but everywhere. Where He is, there is safety and 
peace. But we, too, are like the disciples. Of us He 
may also say, " O ye of little faith." And we need 
constantly to pray, '' Lord, increase our faith." 

Some people are afraid of ocean voyages because of 
the dangers connected with them. But the fact is that 
there is comparatively little danger in these days, espe- 
cially in the case of the large vessels. Few are the 
accidents which happen to them. They are not tossed 
to and fro like the smaller craft. The huge ships in 
ordinary weather plow their way through the deep 



A SEA VOYAGE. 21 

without much motion. Even severe storms do not 
affect them seriously. At times the waves rise from 
thirty to fifty feet, and even dash the water across the 
front part of the ship, but without doing any real dam- 
age And should a ship strike a rock and a hole bo 
torn in its bottom, it would not sink, since it has sev- 
eral water-tight compartments. Some people fear the 
ocean because it is said to be without bottom. This is 
not really true. The ocean has a bottom ; the only 
trouble is that it is too far below the surface of the sea 
to be of service in case of danger. 

On account of faverable weather and congenial com- 
panions the voyage was never tiresome. And yet one 
never forgets home and friends. One evening as I was 
sitting on deck at a late hour the words of Dr. John 
H. Newman in his famous hymn became very real to 
my mind : 

"Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling ^loom, 

Lead Thou me on ; 
The night is dark and I am far from home. 

Lead Thou me on : 
Keep Thou my feet ; I do not ask to see 
The distant scene ; one step enough for me." 

On Sunday morning. May 22, a service was held 
in the dining room, which was well attended and much 
enjoyed. The service was conducted by Dr. C. E. 
Creitz and the sermon was preached by Rev. J. F. 
Moyer. Three well-known hymns were sung from 
books furnished by the ship company. It was inspir- 
ing to worship the Lord in mid-ocean. 

Some years ago some one asked me whether per- 
sons were compelled to remain on board a ship when 
once it had started. There is of course only one alter- 
native — either remain on board or step into the water. 



22 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

When Columbus was on his voyage of discovery to 
America, his sailors became discontented, and rautined. 
They demanded a landing. Columbus said : "All 
right. Just step overboard. It is only about a mile 
to land below." That was rather cold comfort for his 
weary sailors. 

After eight days our first sea voyage came to a close. 
The first evidence we had that we were approaching 
land was the famous Eddystone Lighthouse near the 
shore of England. It is located about 15 miles from 
Plymouth. The lighthouse warns vessels against the 
rocks upon one of which it stands. Many ships had 
been wrecked here. In 1696-1700 a wooden light- 
house was erected here by Winstanley, but on Novem- 
ber 20, 1703, a violent storm washed it away with the 
architect. A second one, also of wood, was burned in 
1755. The present substantial stone lighthouse was 
erected 1879-82. Its great apparatus produces a light 
equal to 160,000 candles, and the light can be seen at 
a distance of 17 J miles. 

On a Friday afternoon we sighted land, and our 
eager eyes for the first time rested on the shore of Old 
England. The sight of land caused considerable ex- 
citement among the passengers. Although the voyage 
had been pleasant, the change was a welcome one. At 
about six o'clock the great steamer stopped outside the 
harbor of Plymouth, England, and a number of pas- 
sengers, including our quartette, were transferred to a 
small steamer called a tender and conveyed to the city. 
The large ocean steamers do not sail into the harbors 
of some cities of Europe, presumably because of shal- 
low water and probably also to gain time. It was after 
eight o'clock when we landed at Plymouth. 



CHAPTER n^-ENGLAND* 




Plymouth.— Reading.— Oxford.— Stratford-on-Avon.— 
Birmingham.— Chester.— Liverpool.— Carlisle. 

NGLAND is one ot the leading nations 
of Europe, and yet a small country. 
The whole of the British Islands consti- 
tutes only one-sixteen-hundredth of the 
world^s dry land. At the same time 

I^j^j^^ I -|, England governs one-seventh of the land 
^'^fmj^^rk area of the world. England proper is 
only a little larger than the State of New 
York, whilst England and Wales to- 
gether are less than one-fourth the size of the State of 
Texas. Twenty-nine States of the American Union 
are each larger than the whole of the United Kingdom 
— that is, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. 

The southern portion of England is level, whilst 
the northwestern part is hilly and mountainous. Eng- 
land is far more fertile than Scotland or Ireland. It is 
largely a grazing country. Large numbers of cattle 
and sheep are raised. The English consume great quan- 
tities of beef and mutton. There are also large quanti- 
ties of vegetables raised. An immense amount of these 
is needed to supply the large cities. In most sections 
few fences are seen, but in the northern part there are 
many stone fences. The stones are secured from the 
fields. At many places these fences are run up the 
mountain sides almost to the summit. In some sec- 
tions few trees are seen. 

It is remarkable how many names of counties in 
Pennsylvania have been borrowed from England, such 



24 EAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

as Bedford, Berks, Chester, Cumberland, Huntingdon, 
Northampton, Northumberland, Somerset, Westmore- 
land and York. The names of towns and townships 
is much larger. This comes from the fact that William 
Penn, owner of the land here, was an Englishman, and 
he and his sons had much to do with selecting names. 

One sees few such farms in England as we have in 
Pennsylvania. A large part of the land is owned by 
a few individuals. The land is leased in small tracts, 
and the tillers of the soil live in villages. These peo- 
ple's houses are small ; there do not seem to be many 
barns. 

England is a very old country. Its authentic his- 
tory goes back to 55 years before the birth of Christ, 
when it was invaded by the Roman General Julius 
Caesar, after having conquered Gaul (France). In the 
following year he made a second expedition against 
England (then known as Britannia) with 800 ships and 
20,000 soldiers. 

After landing at Plymouth, our first experience 
in England was the examination of our baggage by the 
custom house officers. This examination was not rigid. 
We had been informed that a special train would at 
once convey passengers to London. But the number 
was too small for this purpose, and we had to wait 
four hours until the departure of the express train at 
midnight. 

We improved this time by taking a stroll through 
the well-lighted city. We were at once impressed with 
its many old buildings ; also by the small ness of most 
of the dwelling houses. Plymouth is an old city of 
over 100,000 people. One of the interesting places is 



PLYMOUTH. 25 

the Plymouth Clock Tower and Fountain, which bears 
this interesting inscription : "A very strong tower is 
the name of Jehovah. It is sweet to die for one's 
country. Erected 1862. William Derry, Mayor.'' 
The most interesting church is St. Andrew's, which 
dates of the fifth century. In the city there is a statue 
of Sir Francis Drake, the famous seaman of Plymouth, 
who died in 1596 and was buried at sea. This city is 
interesting to Americans because of the fact that from 
here sailed the Pilgrim Fathers on September 6, 1620, 
in the ship " Mayflower," and established the first Eng- 
lish colony in Massachusetts — at Plymouth. The com- 
pany numbered one hundred men, women and children. 
They reached Plymouth in the new world on Decem- 
ber 22 of the same year. These people were dissenters 
from the Established Church of England. They suf- 
fered great privations during the first few years of their 
life in the new settlement. 

The distance from Plymouth to London is 246 
miles. There was no room left for us in the sleeping 
cars. But a railroad official, called the Inspector, very 
accommodatingly reserved two full compartments in a 
carriage for our party of four, so that each one could 
stretch out at full length. The night of May 27 was 
cold, so the Inspector gave us pillows and blankets. 
Thus we spent the latter part of our first night in Eng- 
land in speeding toward London, the largest city in the 
world, which we reached at 6.45 next morning. (A 
partial description of the great city will be given in 
subsequent chapters.) 

After spending nine days in sight-seeing in Lon- 
don^ our party entered upon a tour through England 
3 



26 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

to Scotland. The first town of any size on our route 
was the city of Reading in Berkshire county, 36 miles 
west of London, after which our own city of Reading 
is named. It is a very old town, but was until mod- 
ern times quite small. A hundred years ago it waa 
only one- eighth the present size. Singularly the popu- 
lation is now nearly 100,000, or about the same aa 
that of our Reading. The Benedictine Abbey, founded 
by Henry I. in 1121 and containing his tomb, was at 
one time among the wealthiest abbeys in England. 
Only a few ruins of it now remain. There are four 
prominent churches in Reading — St. Mary's, St. Law- 
rence, Greyfriar's and St. Giles. 

Reading is widely known for two very large and 
famous industries. The one is Huntley & Palmer's 
biscuit factory, which covers 24 acres of ground and 
employs 6,000 hands. Its products are sent all over 
the world. The other is John Sutton & Son's great 
seed business. Their seed farm embraces 3,000 acres. 
Eighty clerks attend to 15,000 letters and parcels per 
day. Many years ago, when the potato was first intro- 
duced into Ireland, the people grew wild over it. They 
were so fond of the potato that one year many people 
set out their whole acreage in it. The crop failed en- 
tirely, and the result was a famine. In their fondness 
for the potato the people had become careless about 
vegetables, and they were now helpless. The English 
government then purchased large quantities of vege- 
table seeds from Sutton's farm to supply the unwise 
Irish people. 

Our next objective point was Oxford, one of the 
great and famous educational centres in England (being 



OXFOED. 27 

rivalled in this line only by Cambridge), 52 miles 
northwest of London, at the confluence of the rivers 
Cherwell and Thames. The houses are mostly small 
and very plain. The town has a population of about 
60,000. It is of little importance except as a literary 
centre. The University is unique in its composition. 
It is different from all others within my knowledge, in 
that it consists of twenty-two Colleges located in dif- 
ferent parts of the city. These Colleges were estab- 
lished at various times, from 1249 down to 1874. 
During the Reformation period two abbeys and five 
monastic Colleges were destroyed, as well as a large 
part of the city. Many of the finest buildings were 
turned into heaps of stones, which were in modern 
times used for building material. One of the finest 
College buildings is that of Brasenose College, which 
was founded in 1509. (This college's peculiar name 
arose from the fact that on the door of the original 
building on its site was a knocker in the form of a bra- 
sen nose.) The Colleges together have about 100 pro- 
fessors and teachers, and 3,800 students. All of the 
College buildings have a very dingy and worn appear- 
ance on the outside, as may w^ell be expected from 
buildings which are from 400 to 600 years old. Most 
of them are built in the form of a square, with a large 
open space in the centre. These open places are called 
quadrangles, and some of them consist of beautiful 
lawns and flower beds. The largest quadrangle is that 
at Christ Church College, the oldest and largest of all 
the Colleges. This last-named building contains a 
Cathedral, which is used as a College chapel. There is 
a seven-ton Curfew bell in the tower of Christ Church, 



28 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

known as Great Tom. There is also the old kitchen 
of Cardinal Wolsey in the basement, which dates its 
history back to 1525. It has a heavy wooden ceiling, 
and there is an original door in the wall whose lock 
works as well as ever. Cardinal Wolsey in his prime 
was one of the most powerful men in England, but his 
career ended sadly. His enemies determined his com- 
plete ruin. They charged him with high treason, and 
he w^as arrested. He died on the way to London to be 
tried on November 29, 1530. His last words were: 
"Had I but served God as diligently as I have served 
the King, He would not have given me over in my 
gray hairs.'^ This has been the experience of many 
another professed servant of the Lord. Wolsey gave 
probably more attention to political than to religious 
affairs. On two occasions he had expected to be elected 
Pope, but was disappointed each time. 

Oxford University is a very expensive place for 
students. It has really always been a place for the 
sons of rich people. It is said to cost students as high 
as $1,500 per year. 

Oxford suffered much during the Reformation. 
Keligious fury ran high. A considerable number of 
persons were burned at the stake, including Nicholas 
Ridley and Hugh Latimer on October 16, 1555, and 
Thomas Cranmer on March 21, 1556. These people 
were victims of Roman Catholic intolerance and gave 
their lives as a testimony for tho truth. They were 
burned on Broad street, Oxford, in front of Balliol Col- 
lege. At the end of Magdalen street stands the Mar- 
tyrs' Memorial in their honor, a large monument sur- 
mounted by a cross, erected in 1841. We stood on the 



OXFORD. 29 

very spot where these good men were burned to death 
because of their firm adherence to evangelical truth. 
When the flames began to consume Ridley and Lati- 
mer, the latter addressed these prophetic words to his 
companion : *' Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and 
play the man ; we shall this day light such a candle by 
God's grace in England as I trust shall never be put 
out," and his words became true. Cranmer had been 
vascillating. After having defended the truth he re- 
canted seven times in writing, but finally he retracted 
all his recantations and stood fearlessly for the truth. 
When the fire had been kindled, he extended his right 
hand into it and cried : ^^This hath ofi^ended ! O this 
unworthy hand !" Soon his whole body was burned. 
It i^ said that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of 
the Church. Roman persecution could burn these three 
men. However that did not destroy the truth, but 
rather fostered it. It has ever been so. What a change 
in Oxford ! These three men were publicly burned be- 
cause they were champions of evangelical truth. Later 
a splendid monument was erected to their memory. 

Bodleian Library, connected with the University, 
was founded in 1602 by Sir Thomas Bodley, and is 
now one of the greatest libraries of the world. It in- 
cludes more than 30,000 manuscripts and 600,000 
books. On its walls hang the portraits of many famous 
persons, including that of Mary, Queen of Scots. 

One of the most interesting places in Oxford is the 
famous Oxford Press establishment. This house has 
been engaged in book publishing during nearly four 
and one-half centuries, its first volume being issued in 
1468. It is known the English world over as a Bible 



so RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

publishing house. Here Bibles are published in all 
the languages of the world, and they are issued by the 
ton. Fifty thousand copies is an ordinary order. la 
1881 over a million copies of the revised New Testa- 
ment were issued. Some years as many as 3,000,000 
Bibles or parts of the Bible are issued in very many 
forms. There is nothing so cheap as the Word of God. 
The Oxford Press issues the New Testament at a penny 
a copy, which is about two cents in American money. 
A visit to tins establishment was quite interesting. 
The present large publishing house was erected in 1830. 

We stopped at The King's Arms Hotel, a very 
quaint hotel in the centre of the city. Near the hotel 
is a very old-looking theatre, in front of which is a 
wall. On the wall is a row of large posts surmounted 
by busts in memory of eminent men. Their noses have 
been eaten away by the ravages of time. 

Our next visit was to Stratford- ON- A von. This 
place, 96 miles northwest of London, is the native town 
of William Shakespeare, the great English dramatist. 
But for this fact it would have little attraction for the 
traveler. The population is nearly 10,000. The place 
is located in a fertile region and has a history of a thou- 
iand years, but the principal fact is the birth of Wil- 
liam Shakespeare in April, 1564. The house in which 
he was born stands on Henley street, the principal one 
of the town. It is a plain two-story building. The 
rooms are kept, as far as possible, in the same condi- 
tion as they were when the poet occupied them. The 
small room in which he was born receives the most 
attention. Autographs of visitors cover the walls and 
ceiling. This array of names includes those of poets, 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON. 31 

philosophers, princes and rulers. In order to save the 
historic house from decay, it was in 1847 purchased 
for the English nation for $15,000, and is kept in good 
repair. 

The two front rooms on the first floor of the old 
house are devoted to a museum containing many relics 
of Shakespeare, including a number of early editions of 
his books. The two rear rooms were used as kitchen 
and dining room. Mr. Shakespeare was born in the 
front room of the second floor on April 23, 1564 Two 
other smaller rooms were used as bed rooms. The 
original fl©or is still in the building. Everything is 
of very primitive character. It is wonderful that the 
building, a wooden one, is so well preserved. In the 
rear of the house is a fine yard with a lawn and flower 
beds. 

The first full edition of Shakespeare's works was 
published in 1623 in an edition of 500 copies. Of 
these 172 copies are said to be still in existence. 

The town contains several monuments to Shake- 
speare. One is the Memorial Theatre seating 800 per- 
sons, erected in 1877-79 at a cost of $150,000, in the 
rear of which stands a statue of the poet. Another is 
a drinking fountain, which was erected in 1887 by 
George W. Childs, the well-known publisher of the 
Philadelphia Public Ledger. 

Shakespeare was buried in the old Holy Trinity 
church at the lower end of the town on the bank of the 
river Avon. His body rests under the pavement of 
the chancel. Beside the grave is a statue of Shake- 
speare. On a marble slab marking the grave are in- 
scribed the following lines, which are by some attrib- 



32 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

uted to Shakespeare, but erroneously so, as the senti- 
ment was known loDg before his birth : 

"Good Friend, for Jesus' sake forbeare 
To digg the dust encloased heare ; 
Bleste be the man that spares thes stones, 
And curst be he that moves my bones." 

The probability is that but for this inscription 
Shakespeare's bones would long since have been re- 
moved to Westminster Abbey, London, the last resting 
place of England's illustrious dead. Near the grave 
of Shakespeare is that of his wife, who died on August 
6, 1623, aged 67 years. At another point is the grave 
of Mrs. John Hall, daughter of the poet. Her epitaph 
commences with these lines : 

""Witty above her sexe, but that's not all, 
Wise to Salvation was good Mistris Hall." 

The daughter's husband, John Hall, and Thomas 
Nasche, esq., the latter's son-in-law, are also buried in 
the chancel. In the case of each one there is an epi- 
taph containing several stanzas. 

No doubt Shakespeare's birthplace and his grave 
are the most valuable objects in Stratford. They con- 
stitute shrines of a certain kind, which are visited by 
thousands of people, who bring much money to the 
place. The people of the town live largely from senti- 
ment. Could the history of Shakespeare be wiped out, 
the place would soon be "as dead as a door nail." 
There are numerous hotels, restaurants and shops in 
which cards, booklets and other matters referring to the 
noted man are sold. There are also many coachmen 
to convey visitors around the place. Most of these 
people seem to be almost entirely dependent upon tour- 
ists^for their living. 



STRATFORD-ON-AVON. 33 

TriDity church is an interesting place. Its tower 
was erected about 1210. Near the entrance are several 
objects which claim the attention of visitors. One is 
the old baptismal font where Shakespeare was bap- 
tized. Its date is 1564, the year in which he was born. 
A later and larger font is near by. The old baptismal 
record is preserved, containing an entry of the poet's 
baptism. There is also an old burial record of 1616. 
Then there is a chained Bible of 1611. In those days 
Bibles were rare, and therefore very valuable. The 
books in English University libraries were chained un- 
til the latter part of the eighteenth century, to prevent 
them from being stolen. There are still a few chained 
libraries in England. The largest one is at the Cathe- 
dral church of Hereford. Of two thousand volumes 
fifteen hundred are thus secured. Each chain is three 
to four feet long, so that the volumes may be placed 
upon the reading desk. 

The old grammar school building which Shake- 
speare attended is yet standing, and is still used for 
educational purposes. It is an exceedingly quaint- 
looking building, with overhanging front. 

The house in which Shakespeare died on April 23, 
1616, his birthday anniversary, was demolished many 
years ago, but its foundation is still preserved in a 
beautiful garden known as the New Place. 

It is estimated that from thirty to forty thousand 
persons visit Stratford each year. These represent 
some seventy nationalities. Ex-President Roosevelt 
visited Stratford two days before we did. 

There has been much discussion as to the correct 
way of spelling the poet's name. The generally ac- 



34 E AMBLES IN EUROPE. 

cepted way is ^' Shakespeare." Very singularly he 
himself spelled it differently. There is at least one let- 
ter extant in which he signed his name " Shakspere." 

The river Avon at Stratford is spanned by a bridge 
of fourteen arches. It is 376 yards long and was built 
by Sir Hugh Clopton, Lord Mayor of London, who 
died in 1496. The bridge is worth seeing. From it a, 
fine view of the stream is afforded. 

Most houses of the town are small, erected of brick 
and covered with tiles. Many appear very old, and 
are humble dwellings. Stratford is a very interesting 
place, and our visit gave us great satisfaction. The 
place is known as Stratford-on-Avon to distinguish it 
from another Stratford near Salisbury. 

Birmingham is a great manufacturing city near 
the centre of England, with a population of about 550,- 
000. There are extensive hardware manufactories. It 
is probable that more cutlery is manufactured here than 
in any other place in the world. Large numbers of 
military rifles are also made here. It is stated that 
770,000 guns were sent from here to the United States 
during the Civil War. We visited the City Art Gal- 
lery and Museum, which are extensive and free to the 
public. St. Philip's Episcopal Cathedral is a vener- 
able building located upon an eminence near the centre 
of the city. In the cemetery in front of the church 
stands an obelisk in memory of Col. Burnaby, a noted 
officer who served with Gen. Gordon in the Soudan in 
1875. Whilst connected with a Nile expedition in 
1884, he was killed by an Arab. He was a man of 
great daring. 

" Don't fail to visit Chester in England," was the 
advice of a friend, and we followed it. Chester is one 



CHESTER. 35 

of the many smaller towns of England, but it contains 
numerous very interesting features. It is located 16 
miles southeast of Liverpool. The population is about 
40,000. It is one of the most picturesque and quaint 
places in England. The old part is still enclosed by 
its ancient wall, which is about eight feet thick and 25 
feet high, and the top of which affords a fine prom- 
enade. There are two bridges across the river Dee, 
one of whioh consists of a single arch of stone 200 feet 
in length. It greatly resembles the famous Cabin John 
Bridge near the city of Washington. Farther north is 
an old bridge of the thirteenth century, and still far- 
ther up is a modern suspension bridge. 

Chester Cathedral is a massive sandstone structure, 
355 by 200 feet, with a massive tower 127 feet high. It 
was long a monastery, but after the dissolution of the 
monasteries it was changed into a church. The build- 
ing is very old. It is claimed that there was a Chris- 
tian church here in the time of the Romans. A pecu- 
liar feature of this venerable building is the fact that 
the south transept is four times as large as the north 
transept, which gives the building an odd shape. Cen- 
turies ago the monks of St. Weiburg connected with 
the Cathedral wished to enlarge the building. They 
c©uld not extend it northward on account of the chap- 
ter house located there. They therefore appropriated 
the St. Oswald parish church on the south, gave the 
members of that house of worship another church else- 
where, and enlarged the Cathedral. Near the close of 
the fifteenth century the monks were compelled to re- 
admit the members of the St. Oswald church to their 
old place of worship. A partition separated the north 



36 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

transept from the rest of the Cathedral. This parti- 
tion was removed in 1880 and another church provided 
for the people in question. 

Another very interesting building is the Church of 
St. John the Baptist, which dates from the eleventh 
century. A large part of the original building is in 
ruins. The interior is a fine specimen of Norman ar- 
chitecture. In 1076 the Bishop of Lichfield set up his 
throne here. One of the kings of England removed 
the leaden roof and the metalic ornaments of the build- 
ing, and turned them into money, and this was the 
cause of the ruin of a large part of the Cathedral. 
Fragments of sandstone still remaining tell of the 
grandeur of the former part now in ruins. The old 
organ of this church is now in Westminster Abbey, 
London, and was played at the coronation of Queen 
Victoria in 1838. 

The town dates its history back to Roman times, 
and had a varied experience. It contains many relics 
from Roman times. After the Romans had left, the 
place was occupied by the Britons, Saxons and Danes. 
In 605 it was laid utterly waste by Ethelfrith of North- 
umbria. After being inhabited by roving tribes it was 
rebuilt in 908, and by 942 it was a prosperous place. 
Chester was the last place in England to hold out 
against William the Conqueror, who captured it in 
1070. 

In Trinity church is the grave of Matthew Henry, 
the well-known Bible commentator, whose commentary 
is still largely used. At the edge of a park is a fine 
monument to his memory. The inscription informs u& 
that he was born in 1662 and died in 1714. 



CHESTER. 37 

The town contains several State churches, and also 
several Methodist and Baptist hooses of worship. We 
visited several of the older buildings. In one of the 
Established churches a clergyman was conducting a 
service on a week day, the congregation consisting of 
three women, who made the responses in the liturgy. 
On Sundays no doubt things are different. We were 
told that the clergyman would go through the service 
even if not a single person were present. 

The wall of Chester is an interesting relic of the 
past. There was a wall around the town in the time 
of the Romans, and the present one is still called the 
Koman wall. When the first one was built and when 
it was destroyed, I am unable to say. As stated, the 
town was several times destroyed as a result of cruel 
wars. The present wall was built in the fourteenth 
century. For the most part it follows the line of the 
old Roman wall, which had been erected about two 
thousand years ago. It is built almost entirely of red 
sandstone. In the centre of the walled part of the city 
stands the Cathedral, and around this building the first 
citizens erected their homes. But tiie town outgrew 
the confines of the wall, and nearly the whole business 
part of the present city is outside of it. It has four 
gates — north, east, south and west, with a number of 
towers of observation. The building of the wall was a 
stupendous piece of work, it being two miles long. Be- 
ing no longer needed as a means of defense against ene- 
mies, the top of it is nicely paved with flagstones the 
whole length, and now serves as a promenade, and in 
the evening many people are found upon it. We 
walked over the whole length of it one evening and 



38 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

found great pleasure in it, because of the fine views af- 
forded. On the inside of the wall the space has in 
some places been filled up even with the top of it, and 
at several places houses are built against it, with the 
doors opening upon the wall. In one of the towers an 
aged lady is selling photographic views of the city. 

Perhaps the most unique features of the city are the 
so-called "Rows," that is, houses whose second and 
third stories extend over the pavements to the curb 
line. On the ground floor are stores, whilst the upper 
floors are occupied as dwellings. In some instances 
the houses are so constructed that the fronts of even the 
second floors serve as promenades, with stores in the 
rear. These houses present a most singular appear- 
ance. A similar arrangement is found in the city of 
Berne, Switzerland, with this difference, that at the lat- 
ter place the Rows are much longer. They extend On 
both sides of the main street for a number of squares. 

In olden times the Curfew Bell in the old Cathe- 
dral would ring at ten minutes before nine o'clock each 
evening, and then ail the people had to put out their 
fires and go to bed. The bell is still rung at that hour 
each evening, but it has lost its former significance. 
The people neither put out the fires nor go to bed when 
they hear it ; and neither did our party on the evening 
of June 7. 

It is remarkable how long are the days in this lati- 
tude in summer and how short in winter. At 9.30 
o'clock in the evening of June 7, while on the city 
wall, I could still read my guide book. Daylight com- 
mences soon after two o'clock in the morning. In win- 
ter darkness begins to fall at four o'clock in the after- 



LIVEEPOOL. 3§ 

noou and continues until eight o^clock in the morning. 
The farther north one goes, the more pronounced be- 
comes this peculiarity. At Hammerfest, the most 
northern point of Europe, it is still light at midnight. 
Travelers speak of the midnight sun there. 

There are many quaint houses and odd signs in 
Chester. One house is called God's Providence House, 
because its occupants were spared from the plague in 
the seventeenth century. I can note only the follow- 
ing peculiar signs : '^ Ye Olde Bear's Paw'' over a ho- 
tel ; ^^YeOlde Coach and Horse Hotel"; '' Ye Olde 
Custom House Inn," being dated 1637 and leaning to 
one side ; " Ye Old Time Furniture Store" ; " Ye Olde 
Yacht Inn" ; " F. Fox, Chimney Cleaner" ; ^' Refresh- 
ment Contractor," etc. 

Superstition held its sway in Chester as well as in 
other places. On the northeastern part of the old city 
wall is a flight of stone steps which is still known as 
the " Wish Steps." The tradition is that anyone who 
can run up and down these steps seven times without 
breathing will surely realize any wish he may have. 
Of course it is impossible to perform such a feat. 

Near this point stands an old grist mill operated by 
the waters of the river Dee. It is said that mills have 
stood on this site during eight hundred years. 

The city of Liverpool is a great commercial and 
manufacturing centre on the western coast of England. 
The population, including that of Birkenhead on the 
western side of the river Mersey, is about 800,000. 
The city is the principal shipping port of the United 
Kingdom, its trade being immense. Its growth in 
modern times has been enormous. In the middle of 



40 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the fourteenth century it contained only 840 inhabit- 
ants and 168 cottages. The population in 1561 was 
only 690. Formerly Liverpool was extensively en- 
gaged in the African slave trade. As late as 1807 her 
ship owners employed in this business 185 vessels, 
which were capable of carrying about 44,000 slaves. 
There are nearly 300 churches in the city, about one- 
third of which belong to the Establishment, the bal- 
ance to the Catholics and to various branches of Prot- 
estantism 

Seven railroads center in Liverpool, several of 
which have splendid stations. There are five tunnels 
under the city. One of these passes under the river 
Mersey and connects Liverpool with Birkenhead, and 
was opened by the Prince of Wales in 1886. Over 
10,000,0^ passengers pass through this tunnel annu- 
ally. The city possesses many large and substantial 
business houses. Our visit was not prolonged here. 

Carlisle, 300 miles northwest of London, is an 
interesting city of about 50,000 people. Seven lines 
of railroad centre here in a splendid station covering 
seven acres of ground. We stopped near the station. 
In front of our hotel are located two massive circular 
court houses, which stand on the site of the former 
citadel. To the left is the large gaol (prison). 

One of the principal buildings of the city is the Ca- 
thedral, which was originally founded by William Ru- 
fus and dedicated in 1101 by Henry I. Four times it 
suifered severely from fire. The church contains one 
of the largest and finest windows in England. It is 50 
feet high and 30 feet wide. The upper part of this 
window contains the only ancient glass in the Cathe- 



CARLISLE. 41 

dral. On the back of the choir stalls are rather rude 
paintings from the legends of a number of saints and 
figures of the Twelve Apostles. In 1787 Sir Walter 
Scott was married in this church. There are numer- 
ous memorials in the Cathedral, one of them being that 
of the 59th Bishop of Carlisle. 

A place of great interest is the old Castle in the 
northern part of the city, founded in 1092, now used 
as barracks for the English garrison. From its battle- 
ments we had a fine view of the country. The Castle 
is surrounded by a wall. We were shown the room in 
which Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned several 
months in 1568. There is only one small window in 
the room, and that one opening toward a blank wall. 
It is a very dreary place. One of our party expressed 
surprise to the guide that Mary did not try to escape 
by jumping out of the second-story window. The 
guide replied : " She would not have been worth the 
picking up.'^ 

Mary was a most unfortunate queen. After an 
eventful and in some respects dishonorable life, she be- 
came a prisoner of the English. She spent eighteen 
years in various prisons, and was finally beheaded at 
Fotheringay, in the central part of England, on Febru- 
ary 8, 1587. Parliament had repeatedly demanded her 
execution, but Queen Elizabeth long refused to sign 
the death warrant. In 1612 Mary^s body was re- 
moved to Westminster Abbey in London, where we 
saw her tomb. 

A guide showed us the old dark dungeons in the 
Castle at Carlisle in which many prisoners were con- 
fined in 1745. The walls here are twelve feet thick 
4 



42 EAMBLES IN EUEOPE. 

There were at one time 130 prisoners placed into two 
dungeons with little air. In the month of June forty 
of the prisoners were suffocated. Some were chained 
to the wall. There was no water for the poor unfor- 
tunates. Two damp stones are pointed out to visitors^ 
which are partly worn away by being licked by the 
prisoners to moisten their tongues. Many of the pri- 
soners became blind in these dark places. They were 
placed upon iron chairs and water allowed to drop upon 
their heads, a drop every second. Many went insane 
from this treatment. (This kind of torture was prac- 
ticed also in the prison at the Hague, as mentioned fur- 
ther on in this volume.) Only enough food to keep 
them alive was given the prisoners. After two years' 
confinement those still living were hanged on the top 
of the Castle. This place forcibly reminded us of the 
horrors of former times. 

There is a well two hundred feet deep in the yard 
of the Castle, operated by a windlass which requires 
the strength of two men. The well is said to have 
been dug and walled out by the Komans. There are 
three*'gates in succession at the entrance to the Castle. 
The innermost one is fitted with a portcullis — a wooden 
frame with protruding sharp spikes, which was dropped 
upon invaders in case they reached that point. 

The city of Carlisle collects a tariff on nearly every- 
thing brought into it for sale. A published notice in- 
forms us of the tariff on grain, produce, " garden stuff/' 
horses and, pigs, etc. Also on objects taken out to sell. 
Many of the houses look very old. Some of them are 
covered withflat stones. In this city we saw, for the 
first time, people wearing wooden shoes. 



CARLISLE. 43 

Carlisle is located near the line of the famous Eo- 
man Wall, which the Emperor Hadrian, who reigned 
from 117 to 138 A. D., had erected all the way across 
England as a military measure, largely to keep out of 
England the Caledonians who then inhabited Scotland. 
Some portions of this barrier still remain, several parts 
of which are nine feet high. A similar wall was 
erected across Scotland, near the line of the city of 
Edinburg, by Antonius, the successor of Hadrian, in 
the year 140. 



CHAPTER IIL-CITY OF LONDON. 

The Immense City.— Great Bridges.— Houses of Parlia- 
ment.— Westminster Abbey.— St. Paul's Church.— 
British Museum.— London Tower.— Bank of 
England.— Trafalgar Square. 




E reached London, the largest city in the 
world, on Saturday morning at 6.45, 
alighting at Paddington Station. It was 
evident at once that we were in a great 
city. First of all, we sought the near- 
est station of the Underground Railroad 
to carry us to our hotel on the Strand. 
London has a real net work of these sub- 
ways, such as no other city possesses. 
Without them travelling about the city would be slow. 
These roads are of comparatively recent construction, 
and we can hardly realize how people could get along 
without them, for London possesses comparatively few 
surface lines. These underground roads are from 20 
to 183 feet below the surface. Some cross each other, 
which fact necessitates the great depths. Elevators are 
used at some places. 

London is a very old city. It dates its history 
back to the time of the Roman empire, when England 
was known as Britannia. It is supposed to have been 
founded about the year 43. In early times the city 
was surrounded by a strong wall, as were all cities then. 
But the wall has almost entirely disappeared. Only 
at a few places are remnants to be seen. These are 
formidable pieces of masonry. 

A truly great city is London. With Charing 
Cross as a centre, it extends 10 to 12 miles in each di- 



46 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

rection, covering an area of about 130 square miles. 
Its 8,000 streets, if laid end to end, would form a line 
of 3,000 miles. There are about 600,000 buildings, 
500 hotels and 1,500 churches. The most recent fig- 
ures place the population at 7,537,196. There are 
more Irish in London than in Dublin, more Jews than 
in Palestine, and more Roman Catholics than in Rome. 
American residents number only 15,000, but about 
100,000 American travellers pass through the city an- 
nuallv. 

As a matter of fact, London is an aggregation of 
28 separate cities or boroughs, each of which has its 
own town council and mayor, with the old city of Lon- 
don as a centre. Many years ago the city was sur- 
rounded by numerous towns, which grew into cities, 
and in the course of time the gaps which existed be- 
tween these and London were entirely closed, the whole 
group forming the vast metropolis. The old city of 
London embraces only about one square mile, with a 
comparatively small population. Its chief official is 
called Lord Mayor. 

One of the most awkward features of the great city 
are its irregular streets. There seem to be few which 
run at right angles, and this fact makes it difficult for 
the stranger to get around. It is quite easy for one to 
lose himself. I made the city the subject of careful 
study before I left home, fixing the location of the most 
important places firmly in my mind. This prelimi- 
nary study proved to be of the greatest advantage. 
Boston is said to be the most difficult city of America 
in which to find one's way, on account of its winding 
streets, and London is a Boston on a greatly enlarged 



CITY OF LONDON. 47 

scale. One of the troubles with London streets is that 
some of them have different names in different parts. 
Thus the Strand is in a certain section called Fleet 
street. The principal streets are of good width, but 
some are quite narrow — only about ten feet wide be- 
tween the curbs. 

The Strand is one of the busiest streets in the world. 
It is always absolutely crowded with all kinds of ve- 
hicles, so that one wonders that there are not numerous 
collisions. In this turmoil are cumbrous omnibuses, 
delivery wagons of all sizes, drays, automobiles, car- 
riages, bicycles with male and female riders, push carts, 
etc., and everybody is in a hurry. All vehicles are 
required to turn out to the left. There are many signs 
to this effect. The pavements are full of people going 
to and fro. One is apt to wonder where all these peo- 
ple reside, and how they make their living. It is a 
very hazardous thing to cross this street during the 
busy hours of the day, but surprisingly few persons are 
killed in this street. Many of the vehicles on this 
street are two-story omnibuses, of which there are about 
one thousand ia the city. Some are drawn by two or 
three horses each, and others are propelled by electric 
motors. The fares are low. One can ride a long dis- 
tance for two cents. 

One well-known street, only about twelve feet wide 
between curbs, bears the name Paternoster Row, and 
has many bookstores on it. There are several theories 
about the origin of its name. One is that the street is 
so called because of the prayer-books and rosaries for- 
merly sold on it. A rosary is a string of beads used 
to keep account of the number of times the Lord's 



48 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Prayer (JPat«r Nofite'^ in Latin) is repeated. Another 
theory is that in olden times a number of monks living 
in that neighborhood were accustomed to walk daily 
through certain streets chanting the Pater Noster. The 
place of starting was called Pater Noster Kow, and the 
place where the chanting ended was called Amen Cor- 
ner, which is marked by means of a marble block in 
the second story of a certain corner house. 

London is situated in the southern part of Eng- 
land, about sixty miles from the sea, and on both sides 
of the river Thames. The river varies in width. At 
London Bridge it is 900 feet, while at Westminster 
Bridge it is 1,200 feet wide. There are a number of 
great bridges spanning the river, the principal ones 
being, besides the two mentioned. Tower, Waterloo, 
Blackfriars, etc. 

The present London Bridge, which is 1,005 feet 
long, was erected in 1831 at a cost of |4,000,000. It 
is estimated that 22,000 vehicles and 110,000 persons 
cross it every day. In early times a number of wooden 
bridges were erected at this place, but these were de- 
stroyed either by floods or by fire. In 1209 tho^ first 
stone structure was erected. A chapel dedicated to St. 
Thomas of Canterbury was built upon the bridge, and 
a row of houses sprang up on each side, so that the 
bridge was, as it were, a continuation of the street. At 
both ends were fortified gates, on the pinnacles of 
which the heads of traitors used to be exposed. 

In one of these houses on the bridge resided John 
Hewitt, Lord Mayor at the time of Queen Elizabeth. 
According to the story, his daughter fell into the river 
and was rescued by Edward Osborne, his apprentice. 



CITY OF LONDON. ' 49 

The brave youth married the young lady and founded 
the family of the present Duke of Leeds. (For a de- 
scription of a present-day bridge of this kind see city 
of Florence, Italy.) 

Another is the Charing Cross Bridge, whose erec- 
tion cost nearly a million dollars. Almost 7,000 tons 
of metal were used in its construction. This is a rail- 
road and foot bridge. 

There are many places of much interest to be vis- 
ited in the great city. I will briefly mention some of 
the places visited by us. 

House of Parliament. — This vast building is 
to England what the Capitol at Washington is to the 
United States, only larger. It stands on the left bank 
of the Thames river. The former Capitol was burned 
down in 1834. In 1840 the present building, which 
is Gothic in architecture, was commenced. It covers 
eight acres of ground, contains eleven courts, 100 stair- 
cases, and 1,100 apartments, and cost |1 5,000,000. At 
one end of the building is the hall of the House of 
Commons, and at the other that of the House of Lords 
or Peers. These halls are small in proportion to the 
immense building. The House of Commons is 75 feet 
long, 46 feet wide and 44 feet high, whilst the House 
of Lords is 90 feet long, 45 feet wide and 4§ feet high. 
There are fewer seats than members, who never all at- 
tend. In these two hails the laws are enacted which 
govern more than two hundred million people. The 
river front of the building is 940 feet long, very im- 
posing and embellished with the statues of English 
monarchs from William the Conqueror to Queen Vic- 
toria. 



50 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

There are three great towers — the Clock Tower, 318 
feet high ; the Middle Tower, 300 feet, and the Vic- 
toria Tower, through which the King passes into Par- 
liament, 340 feet. The large clock in the first men- 
tioned Tower has four dials, each 23 feet in diameter, 
and it is said to take five hours to wind the great clock, 
which, it is claimed, can be heard nearly all over Lon- 
don. During the sessions of Parliament the Clock 
Tower is illuminated, so that the correct time may be 
seen at a great distance. 

Adjoining the Parliament building is Westminster 
Hall, in which some of the early English Parliaments 
were held. The place is rich in historic associations. 
Here some of the Kings in former times gave their 
coronation festivals. Here also some of the saddest 
incidents in English history occurred. Here Charles 
1. was condemned to death. Here Oliver Cromwell a 
few years later, in 1653, wearing the royal purple and 
holding a golden sceptre in one hand and a Bible in 
the other, was saluted as Lord Protector. But in less 
than eight years afterward Cromwell's body, which 
had been buried with great pomp in Westminster Ab- 
bey, was rudely dragged from its resting place and cast 
into a pit at Tyburn, whilst his head was exposed with 
several others on the pinnacles of this same Westmin- 
ster Hall, where it remained for years. This illus- 
trates the instability of public sentiment. Cromwell's 
experience was somewhat like that of Jesus. On Palm 
Sunday the crowd cheered Him, and a few days later 
it cried, " Crucify Him !" In this famous Westmin- 
ster Hall many noted persons were condemned to death. 
Others were acquitted after trial upon various charges. 



CITY OF LONDON. 51 

Formerly the Lord Mayor of London was inducted 
into oifice here, the last time in 1882. 

Westminster Abbey. — The most noted church 
building in London is Westminster Abbey, which is 
located near the Parliament building. It is a large 
and magnificent structure, erected in Gothic style, and 
is well worth a visit. The site has been occupied by 
churches during many centuries, for, as the story goes, 
a church was erected here by the Anglo-Saxon King 
Sebert in honor of St. Peter about the year 616. This 
building was destroyed by the Danes. The present 
edifice was dedicated in 1269, having been erected by 
Henry III. It was, however, not completed until 
1735, when the two beautiful towers were erected. The 
front of the great building is beautiful and imposing. 
One of the towers contains a clock. 

This noted church is a place of worship, and also a 
burial place. To be buried here is the greatest honor 
which can be bestowed upon a person. There are a 
number of divisions, and there are graves in all of 
them. The church is the burial place of thirteen Kings 
of England, and about the same number of Queens, be- 
sides many other noted persons. Among those buried 
here, besides the royal persons, are Dickens, Tennyson, 
Browning, Handel, Dean Stanley, Newton, Scott, Liv- 
ingstone, Darwin, Gladstone, etc. Many of the dead 
are not really buried, but rest in elaborate sarcophagi — 
metalic or stone coffins. Then there are monuments 
here of noted persons buried elsewhere. 

In passing through Westminster Abbey one does 
so with feelings of awe and solemnity. He feels as in 
the presence of the greatest men of England. At the 



52 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

same time one is reminded of the vanity of earthly 
glory. Whilst, as stated, it is the greatest honor to be 
buried here, it is really an empty honor. There is no 
benefit or advantage in it. The poorest saint of God, 
buried in the most obscure place, is just as well off as 
those buried in the great church, for God is no re- 
specter of persons or of places of burial. We were 
conducted through the building by an aged clergyman 
in Episcopal garb. He showed us a shrine which is 
said to be a thousand years old. 

The great church is in the form of a cross. The 
place of worship is not large, compared with the size 
of the building. It is long and exceedingly high. This 
place is called the nave, whilst the choir is the place 
occupied by the clergy and the singers. There are a 
number of chapels which are filled with the coffins of 
the dead. The chapel of Henry VII. contains the 
body of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was beheaded on 
February 8, 1587. 

The church is 513 feet long and 102 feet high, the 
transept (bar of the cross) 200 feet wide and the tow- 
ers 225 feet high. Westminster Abbey is one /of the 
great Cathedrals of the Church of England (State 
Church). We attended worship here on a Sunday 
evening. The building was crowded, largely by stran- 
gers. This service was in a sense interesting, but not 
particularly edifying. In the first place the church 
was poorly lighted, there being a small number of gas 
lights, besides a number of candles. The whole ser- 
vice was of a sombre character. This, I understand, is 
intended to make a peculiar impression upon the peo- 
ple, but it seems to me to be quite apt to put the peo- 
ple to sleep. 



CITY OF LONDON. 53 

The rector who opened the service intoned every- 
thing, including the Litany, and the choir chanted the 
responses. The sermon by a comparatively young man 
was clothed in good language and had a fine style, and 
the matter was good, but it was not calculated to in- 
spire. The theme was " The Mystery of Faith," and 
the preacher dealt a good deal with the inadequacy of 
science to impart spiritual knowledge. 

St. Paulas Church. — This is the largest house of 
worship of the Church of England in London, and the 
third largest church in all Christendom, the other two 
being St. Peter's at Pome and the Cathedral at Milan. 
It is 500 feet Jong and 118 feet wide, with a transept 
of 250 feet, and resembles the great church at Rome, 
although on a much smaller scale, and is in the form 
of a cross, like Westminster Abbey. The height of the 
dome to the top of the cross is 404 feet. 

St. PauFs is a great and magnificent building. Like 
Westminster Abbey it is the burial place of many noted 
men, largely naval and military. Chief among the 
many monuments is that to the memory of Admiral 
Lord Nelson, the hero of the great naval battle of Tra- 
falgar in 1805 with the fleets of France and Spain. He 
fell mortally wounded just as his fleet was achieving 
the great victory. His body was brought to England 
and buried in St. Paul's church. Another noted man 
buried in this church is the Duke of Wellington, the 
great English commander in the battle of Waterloo in 
1815, where Napoleon was finally completely defeated. 
The sarcophagi (coffins) of Nelson and Wellington 
stand in the crypt or lower part of St. PauFs church, 
which covers a large part of the basement of the great 



64 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

building. Here is also the grave of Sir Christopher 
Wren, the architect who designed the church. In the 
wall near by is a tablet containing the celebrated words : 
" If you would see his monument, look around you." 
The church is certainly the greatest monument that 
could be erected to the memory of this great architect. 
Among the many oth^r eminent men buried here is 
George Williams, the founder of the Young Men's 
Christian Association. The funeral car of Wellington 
is also in the crypt. It is an elaborate metallic affair 
and was cast from cannon captured by the great naval 
commander. 

This church dates its history back many centuries. 
There is a tradition that in pagan times a temple of 
Diana stood upon its site. Then it is claimed that 
Christians had erected a church here in the time of the 
Romans, which was demolished by the pagan Saxons. 
It is believed to have been restored in 610. This also, 
as w^ell as a subsequent one, was burned down. The 
present building was commenced in 1675 and com- 
pleted in 1710. The whole building was completed 
by one architect. Sir Christopher Wren. There are 
two towers in front, 222 feet high, with statues of the 
four Evangelists at the angles. The vast dome is sur- 
mounted by a great ball and a cross, which together 
weigh 8,960 pounds, the ball being six feet in diam- 
eter and capable of holding ten or twelve persons. 

In front of the church stands a large statue of Queen 
Anne. It was this ruler who sent the Palatines to 
America in 1710, some of whom later came to Berks 
county under Conrad Weiser. 

Among the many statues in St. Paul's are those of 
John Howard, the great philanthropist ; Lord Corn- 



CITY OF LONDON. 55 

wallis, who surrendered the British army to General 
Washington at Yorktown ; General Howe, who com- 
manded the British army in the A merican Colonies in 
the early part of the Revolution ; General Charles G. 
Gordon, who was known as " Chinese Gordon" on ac- 
count of his services in China, and who was killed at 
Kartoum in 1885, etc. 

We attended a service in this church on Monday 
afternoon, May 31 . The services are conducted after 
the extreme ritualistic Church of England style, and 
the uninformed stranger would not have believed that 
it was anything other than a Roman Catholic church. 
We could understand nothing of what the leader said 
in intoned words, but the music was grand. There 
was a short sermon, but we could understand nothing 
on account of the great echo in the vast building. Of 
course this does not matter so much in churches where 
all emphasis seems to be placed upon form. The ex- 
terior of the church has a very dark appearance. 

British Museum. — One of the most interesting 
institutions of London is the great British Museum. 
It is a vast treasure-house of historical objects of all 
kinds. A full inspection of it would be the work of 
many days. The Museum was started in 1753, when 
Sir Hans Sloane offered to the government for $100,- 
000 his extensive collection of objects of natural his- 
tory, works of art, books and manuscripts valued at 
$250,000, which offer was accepted. The money was 
raised through a lottery. Since then numerous other 
collections have been added, and the Museum is now 
an immense repository of objects from all parts of the 
world. There are numerous Assyrian, Greek, Roman 



56 RAMBLES 12?^ EUROPE, 

and Egyptian antiquities. The library is one of the 
largest in the world, containing over 2,000,000 vol- 
umes. There are 50,000 printed and 20,000 manu- 
script maps. About 60,000 volumes are added to the 
library each year. The books occupy about 40 miles 
of shelving. This library is rivalled only by the Na- 
tional Library at Paris. The cost of maintaining the 
great Museum is reported to be |750,000 per year. 
About 600,000 persons visit the place annually. The 
great building is 370 feet in length. It was completed 
in 1847. 

One can look at only a small portion of the im- 
mense number of interesting objects. Among the many 
interesting literary curiosities I may mention these ; 
Here are found a number of early Bible manuscripts, 
such as the Codex Alexandrinus from the j&fth century, 
which is one of the four oldest Greek manuscripts of 
the Bible, the other three being the Sinaitic at St. Pe- 
tersburg, the Codex Vaticanus at Rome and the Codex 
Ephraemi ; illustrated copies of the Vulgate from the 
sixth century, a copy of Wycliffe's Bible from the four- 
teenth century, etc. / 

Then there are copies of early printed Bibles —the 
Mazarin or first published Bible, printed at Mayence 
in 1455 (a copy was sold in 1897 for $20,000) ; Latin 
Bible printed probably at Bamberg in 1461 ; the first 
Psalter printed on parchment in 1457 by Faust and 
Schaffer, being the first printed book bearing a date ; 
a similar Psalter by the same of 1459, a copy of which 
was sold in 1884 for $24,750 ; a Bible printed by Faust 
and Schaffer in 1462, the first printed Bible bearing a 
date ; a German Bible printed at Nuremberg in 1483 ; 



CITY OF LONDON. 57 

illustrated copy of Aesop's Fables of 1485 ; first edi- 
tion of Cranmer's English Bible printed in London in 
1S40; Fox's Book of Martyrs printed in London in 
1669; a copy of the earliest printed English Bible of 
1535, translated by Tyndale and Coverdale ; first edi- 
tion of the Authorized or King James' Version of the 
English Bible of 1611, etc. Also a copy of the im- 
mense Chinese Encyclopedia which contains standard 
Chinese works from 1150 before Christ to 1700 after 
Christ. This work consists of about 1,000 volumes 
and was published in 1726. There is a copy of the 
first known calendar printed at Nuremberg in 1474. 

In the Ephesus Room are many large fragments of 
the Temple of Diana, exhumed in 1869-74 ; fragments 
of the Great Theatre at Ephesus, and many other cu- 
riosities of that city. Another room contains relics 
from Athens, including the famous specimens of mar- 
ble, which were brought from Athens by Lord Elgin 
in 1801-03 (at that time British Ambassador at Con- 
stantinople) at a cost of ^360,000 ; a model of the Par- 
thenon at Athens, which in the fifth century was made 
a Christian church, in 1460 turned into a Turkish 
mosque, and in 1687 was shattered during a siege. 

One of the most interesting as well as most precious 
articles in the Museum is the Codex Alexandrinus, 
mentioned before, one of the four great manuscripts 
from which our present Bible has come. It is 1500 
years old and consists of 773 sheets of gray goatskin, 
which is remarkably thin. Each sheet measures 12f 
by lOf inches and is written on both sides in clear 
Greek characters. They are kept in a locked case and 
carefully guarded. The manuscript is a copy made by 
5 



68 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Thecla, a noble Christian lady of Alexandria, Egypt^ 
in the fifth century. It was brought from Alexandria 
to Constantinople by the Patriarch of Constantinople, 
who in 1624 gave it to the British ambassador for 
presentation to King James I. I was much interested 
in autograph letters and documents of John Calvin, 
Martin Luther, Philip Melancthon, Erasmus, Michael 
Angelo, Hume, John Wesley, Oliver Goldsmith, John 
Newton, Christopher Wren, Jeremy Taylor, Charles 
Lamb, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, William 
Cowper, David Garrick, Napoleon I., Peter the Great, 
Henry IV., Charles V., Frederick the Great, Queen 
Victoria in 1838, also when she was four years old; 
George III., whose yoke the Americans threw off in 
1776 ; Oliver Cromwell, Lady Jane Grey, etc. ; also a 
Papal Bull of Leo X. of 1521, in which he conferred 
the title of " Defender of the Faith^' upon King Henry 
VIII., because he had defended the Catholic Church 
against the attacks of Martin Luther ; and a deed for 
a house in 572, which instrument is one foot wide 
and 8J feet long. Among the immense number of 
interesting and precious books is a small Bible with 
two Scripture passages written on the fly leaf by Queen 
Victoria. One is 1 Cor. 13 : 4, '^Love suffereth long 
and is kind. Love faileth not.'' 

At South Kensington is a new Museum, now known 
as the Albert and Victoria Museum, which was opened 
by King Edward in 1909. This also contains a vast 
collection of interesting objects. 

Catholic Cathedral. — The principal Catholic 
church in the city is the Cathedral in the Westminster 
district. This is a large and imposing structure, but 



CITY OF LONDON. 59 

not completed. It was erected 1895-1903. In the 
interior are a number of huge brick pillars, which are 
to be encased with marble. The same will be done 
with the wails. In front of the nave hangs a large 
cross, which is thirty feet in length. Under the high 
altar rest the remains of Cardinals Wiseman and Man- 
ning. When completed this church will be a magnifi- 
cant building. Connected with the choroh is a huge 
campanile or bell tower, 283 feet high. From its top 
a fine view of the city is afforded. 

London Towek. — This was an aucient palace and 
fortress, later a state prison, and is now a war museum. 
It would be difficult to think of another building any- 
where with whose history is associated more sorrow. 
Many a state prisooer here was executed. The Tower 
is an oddly- shaped, irregular mass of buildings, erected 
at various periods, surrounded by a battlement wall 
and a deep moat. The latter was drained in 1843. 
The Tower is located on the bank of the Thames river, 
and outside the line of the old city wall. It originated 
with William the Couqueror in 1078. 

In this building Richard II. abdicated in favor of 
Henry of Bolingbroke in 1399 ; Prince James of Scot- 
land was imprisoned ; two young princes were mur- 
dered by their uucle, Richard III. ; Lady Jane Grey 
and her husband, Lord Dudley, were beheaded in 1554 ; 
Sir Walter Raleigh, while a prisoner, wrote his "■ His- 
tory of the World'^ in 1605-17; Queen Anne Boleyn 
was executed; the Earl of Warwick and his wife were 
beheaded ; the Duke of Somerset was beheaded in 1552 ; 
Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Queen Catherine 
Howard, Henry Howard, Henry Grey, William Laud 



60 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

(Archbishop of Canterbury), James Scott, James Rad- 
olyffe and others lost their heads. Some of the prison- 
ers were executed in the Tower, others were put to 
death in the yard. The exact spot where the execu- 
tions took place is marked by a large memorial stone 
with an inscription reciting the sad fact. A scaffold 
upon which many prisoners were executed stood a lit- 
tle northwest of the Tower, at a point now included in 
Trinity Square Gardens. Some of the victims were 
buried in St. Peter's church near by. A larger number 
were buried in the cemetery at this church. The his- 
torian Macauley said : " There is no sadder spot on 
earth than this little cemetery. Death is there associ- 
ated, not, as in Westminster Abbey and St, PauPs, with 
genius and virtue, with public veneration and with im- 
perishable renown ; not, as in our humblest churches 
and church yards, with everything that is most endear- 
ing in social and domestic charities ; but with whatever 
is darkest in human nature and in human destiny, with 
the savage triumph of implacable enemies, with the in- 
constancy, the ingratitude, the cowardice of friends,, 
with all the miseries of fallen greatness and of blighted 
fame.'^ 

St. John's chapel in the Tower is well preserved. 
As we entered it we were directed to remove our hats, 
because it was formerly a dedicated place of worship. 
(In the city of Worms we had a contrary experience. 
When entering the old St. Paul's church, which is now 
used as a museum, the man in charge told us we need 
not take off our hats.) It is one of the finest specimens 
of Norman architecture in England. Two floors of the 
Tower contain a vast collection of old armour and all 



CITY OF LONDON. 61 

kinds of weapons of various nations. The weapons 
are arranged quite artistically. In one case a passion 
flower is formed with swords. There are many speci- 
mens of armor for man and horse, and also numerous 
cannon of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. These 
latter look quite crude in comparison with those of the 
present day. In a large glass case are exhibited the 
gorgeous robes worn by King Edward VII. and Queen 
Alexandra at the time of their coronation The col- 
lection also contains the cloak upon which died the 
British General Wolfe at Quebec, Canada, in 1759, ia 
the war between England and France. The vast col- 
lection also includes many instruments of torture, for- 
merly employed to torture condemned persons. These 
tell a sorry tale of barbarity in former times. 

In the Tower enclosure is the Beauchamp Tower, 
a three-story building formerly used as a prison, with 
small cells and low ceilings. The walls are covered 
with inscriptions made by prisoners. It is a dark and 
doleful place. 

In the Tower grounds stands the gun-carriage upon 
which the body of Queen Victoria was carried to her 
final resting place at Frogmore, near Windsor Castle. 

One of the rooms in the Tower contains the crown 
jewels. The collection includes numerous crowns of 
the rulers of England. Perhaps the most interesting 
one is that made in 1838 for Queen Victoria and al- 
tered in 1902 for King Edward VII. It is adorned 
with 2,818 diamonds, 300 pearls and other gems. The 
collection is said to represent a value of $15,000,000. 
At the time of our visit this room was closed for repairs. 

William Penn, the proprietary of Pennsylvania, 
was born on October 14, 1644, in a house on Tower 



'62 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Hill, near the Tower, but the house is no longer stand- 
ing. A short distance west of the Tower stands the 
church of All Hallows, founded by the nuns of Bark- 
ing Abbey. The register records the baptism of Wil- 
liam Peun. In this church John Quincy Adams, sixth 
President of the United States, was married to Louisa 
Catherine John on July 26, 1797, while serving as 
American ambassador to England. 

Near the Tower is the Tower Bridge, with a draw for 
the passage of vessels. An enumeration made in 1903 
showed that on an average 12,000 vehicles and 50,000 
foot passengers crossed the bridge daily. 

Bank of England. — This is the greatest bank- 
ing institution in the world. It is located in a massive 
building, which is quite different from others of the 
same kind, and covers about four acres. For the sake 
of security there are no windows in the external walls. 
(This is even worse than some churches whose windows 
are so dark that little light is admitted.) 

The Bank of England was founded in 1691 by 
William Patterson, a Scotchman. It was a joint stock 
concern, the first one of the kind in the kingdom, and 
continued such until 1834, when others of like charac- 
ter were established. It is the only bank in London 
which has the right to issue paper money. The origi- 
nal capital was six million dollars, which has since been 
increased more than twelvefold. About a thousand 
persons are employed to do its enormous business. The 
vaults usually contain about one hundred million dol- 
lars in gold and silver, whilst its outstanding notes 
aggregate about an equal amount. The bank receives 
a very large amount for managing the enormous debt 



CITY OP LONDON. 63 

of England. More than ten million dollars' worth of 
notes are negotiated daily. With its own facilities for 
printing bank notes, and ruling and binding account 
books, truly the Bank of England is a great institution. 

No note of this great bank is ever put into circula- 
tion a second time, but when returned, it is at once can- 
celled, but not destroyed. It is kept five years and 
then burned. Thus it may happen that a note will be 
in circulation only a single day 

Trafalgar Square.— There are numerous public 
squares and circles in the great city. From them streets 
radiate in every direction. One of the most prominent 
is Trafalgar Square, in the centre of which stands the 
huge column in memory of Lord Nelson, the hero of 
the naval battle at Trafalgar. In this conflict Napo- 
leon was defeated and his purpose of invading England 
frustrated. The battle occurred on October 22, 1805. 
Napoleon had gathered an array of nearly 200,000 men, 
and built more than 2000 transports to convey the 
army to England, but Nelson's English fleet destroyed 
the French ships, and he is justly revered as the savior 
of his country at that time. But he was killed in tha 
conflict. He is buried in St. Paul's church. 

The granite column of Nelson's monument is 145 
feet high and surmounted by a statue of the hero which 
is 17 feet high. At the base is Lord Nelson's last com- 
mand to his men, at the beginning of the great naval 
conflict : " England expects every man will do his 
duty." The splendid monument was erected in 1843 
by voluntary contributions at a cost of $225,000. At 
the four corners of the monument are immense figures 
of lions. 




CHAPTER IV,-CITY OF LONDON (Continued)- 

Bible House.— Churches.— Windsor Castle.— Art Galleries. 
Markets.— The Poor. Ete. 

IBLE HOUSE. — An iDteresting place 
for religious people is the Bible House 
of the British and Foreign Bible So- 
ciety, located on Queen Victoria street. 
This great society was organized in 
1804, and since then it has issued 222,- 
000,000 copies of the Bible in 418 dif- 
ferent languages. The annual income 
of the society is about $1,250,000. 
About 8,000 Bibles or parts of the Book go out every 
day to all parts of the earth. As one thinks of the 
immense number of Bibles issued by thiscsociety in 
London, the University Press at Oxford,'the American 
Bible Society and other agencies, one is forcibly re- 
minded of the words of Jesus : " Heaven and earth 
shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.'' 

The Bible House contains a large collection of in- 
teresting copies of the Bible. I can mention only a 
few. Here is the jfamous /^ Wicked Bible," issued in 
1632, and so called because of the omission of the little 
word '* not '' in the seventh commandment. Thus the 
commandment appears in this Bible: " Thou shalt 
commit adultery." The publisher was fined 1,000 
marks for the unfortunate error. Then there is the 
"Breeches Bible," published at Geneva in 1560, which 
states that Adam and Eve " sewed fig leaves together and 
mayde themselves breeches." Another is the Geneva 
Bible of 1557, the first one in which the text was 
printed in verses as we now have the Scriptures. Be- 



^6 RAMBLES IK EUROPE. 

fore that time the Bible was printed in long paragraphs. 
The wonder is how ministers managed to announce the 
texts of their sermons before that date. 

Here is a copy of the Tyndale Testament of 1525, 
the first printed in English ; the Coverdale of 1535 and 
Matthew's of 1537. The fate of some of the Bible 
translators was strange and sad. Wycliffe, who first 
translated the Bible into English about 1382, escaped 
torture, but his bones were dug up by the frenzied 
Roman priests and burned. Tyndale was strangled 
and then burned. When dying he prayed : " Lord, 
open the King of England's eyes.'' Matthew wa^ 
burned at Springfield. 

Then we have the Bishop's Bible of 1568 ; the 
Douay Bible of 1609-10; a copy of the first edition 
of the Authorized or King James' Version of 1611 ; a 
Chained Bible; a large Pictorial Bible of 131 2 — each 
picture standing for one chapter, with ten chapters to a 
page ; a Bible with Queen Victoria's autograph ; Robert 
Morrison's Chinese Bible ; Hebrew Rolls four hundred 
years old ; first edition of the Revised Bible of 1885, etc. 

The society also publishes Bibles for the Blind ac- 
cording to two systems — Dr. Moon's, in 94 volumes ; 
and the Braille, in 37 volumes. It costs $25 per copy 
to produce a Braille-system Bible. The first Bible for 
the Blind in England was issued by this society in 
1838. The need for Scriptures of this kind will be 
appreciated when it is known that in Great Britain 
there is one blind person in every 1,000. In India 
354,000 people are blind, and in China the number of 
these unfortunates is 500,000. 

Both interesting and touching is the origin of this 
great Bible Society. Before its organization there was 



CITY OF LONDON (CONTINUED). 67 

a sad lack of Bibles. Those printed by private parties 
were too expensive for the common or poor people, who 
yet yearned for the Word of God. A little girl in 
Wales saved her small earnings for some years and 
then walked twenty-five miles to purchase a copy of the 
Bible, but found that all had been sold. She wept bit- 
terly because of her disappointment, and this touched 
the heart of Rev, Thomas Charles, of Bala, and he 
promised to secure a copy for her. He did this and 
more. Going to London he brought the lack of Bibles 
in Wales to the attention of the Religious Tract So- 
ciety. The resolution was then formed to organize a 
society for supplying the Scriptures, not only in Wales, 
but wherever a need existed. Such was the origin of a 
great movement which has done so much to spread the 
Word of God throughout the world. 

Chueches. — London has many churches — about 
1500 in all — but not enough for its immense population. 
Of these 750 belong to the Church of England or 
State Church. In all or nearly all of these the worship 
is conducted after a very high-church fashion, which is 
much the same as in the Roman Catholic Church, ex- 
cept the mass. There are about 750 Protestant churches 
of various denominations and 50 RomanjCatholic. The 
Protestants are called Nonconformists or Dissenters. It 
looks as if not much had been done during recent years 
in the way of church erection. Nearly all the build- 
ings look old. In going about the city we saw no 
churches which looked as if they had been erected re- 
cently. Two old churches stand in the centre of the 
Strand, one of the principal streets, not far from each 
other. This seems strange. Our party spent two Sun- 



68 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

days in London. When in a great city one naturally 
wants to hear some noted preachers. On the first Sun- 
day morning we went to Westminster Chapel (in Eng- 
land Protestant churches are called " chapels/^ no mat- 
ter how large) to hear Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, but 
he was out of the city. His place was taken by Prin- 
cipal Selbie, of Mansfield College, Oxford, who 
preached an excellent evangelical sermon on ^^ Know- 
ing Christ After the Flesh.'' He used choice language, 
but yet plain words. We greatly enjoyed the sermon. 
Westminster is a large church, capable of seating, with 
its two galleries, one above the other around three 
sides, about 3,000 persons. The windows are plain, 
and therefore the church is well lighted and cheerful. 
A boy was once asked what windows are for, and he 
replied : ^^To shut out the light." Perhaps he had the 
heavily-stained windoAVS of some churches in his mind. 
But it is not so here. Everybody had a Bible and took 
part in the responsive Scripture -reading, and also hunted 
up the text as soon as announced. The singing was 
good. Seven deaconesses occupied the front pew. 

On the second Sunday morning we attended services 
in the City Temple to hear Rev. R. J. Campbell. This 
is also a large church, which was entirely filled. We 
had to stand a short time in line until pew-holders had 
time to enter. Rev. Campbell is a tall man, but has 
a rather weak voice. He preached on " The New 
Life,'' from John 17 : 3. The sermon was good and 
gelical, the substance of it being that we must deny 
ourselves and let the Spirit of God come into our souls. 
After the regular service the communion was cele- 
brated. Those not partaking of the Sacrament retired. 



CITY OF LONDON (CONTINUED). 69 

The pulpit platform is large, circular in form, and was 
occupied, besides the minister, by his church officers. 
Everybody listened to the preacher with close attention. 
The church holds about 2 000 people and every seat was 
occupied. Rev. C. is by some charged with beingun- 
orthodox on the incarnation, the atonement, the reality 
of sin, etc. He did not touch these subjects in his ser- 
mon on that occasion. 

In the evening we went once more to Westminster 
Chapel, and this time had the pleasure of hearing Dr. 
O. Campbell Morgan. The church was crowded. Dr. 
M. preached on Heb. 13 : 14—" For here we have no 
continuing city.'' The sermon was very edifying, and 
the preacher held the closest attention of all present. 
After the church service Dr. Morgan spoke over half 
an hour in an adjoining room of the church to men on 
" The Paralysis of Impurity." This address was plain 
and very practical. He is a strong and good man. 
His preaching is strictly evangelical and the people 
hear him gladly. It is stated that the church is always 
crowded when he preaches. 

Sunday is pretty well observed in London. Busi- 
ness places, including even most restaurants, are closed, 
so that it is often rather difficult to secure meals outside 
of hotels. 

Windsor Castle. We spent a day in visiting 
Windsor Castle, 25 miles southwest of London, one of 
a number of royal palaces. This is one of the most in- 
teresting places in or near the city. It was long the 
residence of Queen Victoria, during whose reign it was 
completed at a cost of $4,500,000, and the recently de- 
ceased King Edward, The Queen and her husband 



70 RAMBLES IN EUEOPE. 

Albert are buried near the castle in a mausoleum 
specially erected for them by her. The spot is called 
Frogmore. This magnificent castle is a series of very 
old buildings in a charming region. Here lived many 
royal persons, and in St. George's chapel, which stands 
inside the castle walls, are buried eight of them, among 
them the recently deceased King Edward. A line on 
the steps marks the exact spot where his body was car- 
ried up into the chapel, in the crypt of which his re- 
mains now rests. St. George's is the chapel of the 
" Knights of the Order of the Garter." It was com- 
menced in 1474 by Edward IV. and completed by 
Henry VIII. The richly adorned choir contains the 
stalls of the Knights of the Garter with their coats-of- 
arms and banners. The order was instituted by King 
Edward III. in 1344. Its pecnliar name is said to 
have originated through a trivial incident. The Countess 
of Salisbury dropped her garter when dancing with the 
king, who, picking it up, tied it around his own leg. 
Observing the queen's jealous glances, he returned it to 
its fair owner with the remark : " Dishonored he be 
who thinks ill of it," and these words have been adopted 
as the motto of the order. For a long time the order 
was limited to twenty-five membars. The chapel con- 
tains a number of tombs, among them that of the Duke 
of Kent, the father of Queen Victoria, who died in 
1028. Certain parts of the castle are always open to 
the public, but the royal family's private apartments 
are not shown to ordiuary visitors. If the king's 
household is not in residence, anybody, upon paying a 
shilling, will be conducted on certain days through the 
state apartments, in which receptions and state dinners 



CITY OF LONDON (CONTINUED). 71 

are held and royal visitors entertained. Our visit hap- 
pened to be at the right time for seeing this part of the 
castle. Most beautiful are the many state rooms. 
Everything is of the finest that can be produced. The 
walls are adorned with beautiful paintings. One of the 
rooms is said to be the most splendid in the world. We 
also ascended 202 steps to the top of the Round Tower, 
from which a beautiful and extensive view over some 
twelve counties is afforded. Half-way up in the wall 
is a cannon which commands the stairway. The castle 
is both a place of defence and a palace. Near the top 
is a bell which was brought from Sebastopol and was 
rung only twice since it was brought here — the first 
time when Queen Victoria died, and the second when 
King Edward recently expired. On the North Terrace 
is an old cannon, which is said to have been 99 years 
under water, because of a shipwreck. In the dis- 
tance to the north a large white building is pointed out. 
Our guide said : " That was the residence of William 
Penn, who founded Pennsylvania.^^ He smiled when 
told that our party consisted of Pennsylvauians. (Penn 
was born in London, but resided a long time near 
Windsor Castle.) 

In the stables or mews we were shown some very fine 
horses, mostly grey, which are for the use of the royal 
family, also many fine carriages. The horses receive 
better care than many thousands of the people of Lon- 
don. The town of Windsor contains about 20,000 
people. There is an interesting historical incident 
connected with the town hall, which was erected by 
the famous architect. Sir Christopher Wren. After 
its completion, the authorities insisted that the second 



72 EAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

floor was not sufficiently supported by the walls and 
that two pillars must be set up under it. The archi- 
tect understood his business, but yielded to the wise 
men of the town and erected the pillars. The floor was 
now safe, and the powers that be were satisfied. How- 
ever, sixteen years later it was discovered that the pil- 
lars did not reach the floor above and furnished no 
support whatever. This is a case which illustrates 
the power of imagination. 

A short distance west of Windsor, on the opposite 
side of the river Thames, is Eton College, one af the 
most famous preparatory schools in England, founded 
in 1440 by Henry VI. It is a school for the sons ot 
the rich. Some of the students wear black gowns. 

Picture Galleries. — London's two principal pic- 
ture galleries are the National at Trafalgar Square and 
the Tate, located on the banks of the Thames river, 
some distance south of the Parliament buildings. The 
National gallery was erected in 1832-38 and comprises 
a splendid collection of paintings and sculpture. One 
of the most famous paintings is RaphaePs Madonna, 
which was purchased from the Duke of Marlborough in 
1885 for $350,000, the largest sum ever paid by a gal- 
lery for a picture. It was painted in 1506. 

The Tate gallery was erected by Sir Henry Tate, 
and presented by him to the English nation, together 
with 69 modern paintings. Mr. Tate died in 1899. 
The building is large and beautiful, and the collection 
of works of art here is also quite extensive. 

Markets. — The markets of any great city are an 
an interesting sight. It takes enormous supplies to 
feed the millions. Several mornings I went to the 



CITY OF LONDON (CONTINUED). 73 

Oovent flower and vegetable market quite near the 
Thames. No meat is sold here. This was a sight never 
to be forgotten. It was difficult to reach the place. All 
the streets were blocked with all kinds of teams and 
carts of those who had come to sell as well as to buy. 
Many of the wagons and carts were drawn by mules 
and donkeys, while numerous others were pushed by 
men and women. There was a perfect Bedlam. Many 
of the men were yelling to others to get out of the way, 
but how could they do this ? There was no room to 
turn out. Most of these people are evidently poor, and 
they cultivate flowers as a means of gaining a liveli- 
hood. They are experts at their trade. Such a va- 
riety and quantity of flowers I had never seen. One 
very large building was filled with beautiful specimens, 
as were the yards; and pavements outside. They 
seemed to find a ready sale. The smaller blooming 
plants were in small pots and these were packed in 
wooden cases. Hundreds of men, known as porters, 
carried these cases of flowers upon their heads to the 
homes of the purchasers. Many others were carried 
away in carriages and wagons 

Another part of the market is devoted to vege- 
tables, and this is a much larger aflair than the flower 
department. The quantities of early cabbage, lettuce, 
peas, fruit, etc., were enormous. These vegetables were 
brought there in heaps, almost as large as ordinary 
loads of hay or grain. Here also the goods were car- 
ried away largely on the heads of porters. And such 
loads as those men, and in numerous instances women, 
carried ! One man carried six boxes on his head, an- 
other one two barrels and a box. Numerous women 
6 



74 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

were engaged in podding peas. At one large place 
thirty-two women were thus occupied. 

At these city markets the rich and the poor meet 
together. The poor need the rich to purchase their 
goods, but the rich equally need the poor to raise their 
vegetables and flowers. No one is really independent. 
What good would money do the rich, if there were 
nothing to buy ? 

The name should really be Convent, instead of 
Covent — it was formerly the Convent Garden, belong- 
ing to the monks of Westminster. In the sixteenth 
century it was surrounded by a wall, and included seven 
acres of ground. Near the market houses stands the 
old St. PauPs church, a very plain building, erected in 
the seventeenth century. 

Another interesting place is the great Billingsgate 
Fish Market near London Bridge. Fish, fish, fish, 
nothing but fish of all kinds ! Fish have been landed 
and ^' sold here from time immemorial. Some of the 
finny tribe come from Scotland and some from Norway, 
Holland, the German ocean, and other places, whilst 
many are caught in British waters. This place U one 
of the sights of the great city. The fish come in boxes, 
which are carried about ou the heads of men and 
women. Water constantly drips down upon their 
clothes, and these people present a sorry sight. Our 
principal concern was to prevent our own clothing from 
becoming drenched. The place was crowded and very 
noisy. Men were yelling in all directions. In this re- 
spect the place reminded us of the New York Stock 
Exchange. 

The Poor. — The population of London includes 
many poor people. Such is the case in every great city, 



CITY OF LONDON (CONTINUED). 75 

with this differeoce that here a large proportion are 
desperately poor. The official statement is made that 
the number of persons in London receiving aid is 121,- 
749, or over 25 persons in every 1,000 inhabitants. 
That is, the poor people of London outnumber the en- 
tire population of our city of Eeading Eighty thou- 
sand of these are in charitable institutions. This num- 
ber of such persons has been exceeded only in three 
years during the history of the city. One meets the 
poor everywhere. Some stand at the curbstones and 
sell guide books. Women sell flowers, matches, etc. ; 
they implore passersby to purchase small bunches of 
roses at a penny per bunch. Many idle men are found 
everywhere. That there are many unemployed people 
in London was indicated by a sign at a lar^e new build- 
ing in process of erection : '^ No hands wanted/^ 

According to official reports of May, 1910, there 
were 789,000 paupers in England and Wales oat of a 
population of 35,000,000. Indoor paupers numbered 
275,571 and outdoor paupers 513,437. 

In England, as everywhere, a prolific cause of pov- 
erty is intemperance. It is stated by Lady Henry 
Somerset that in one district in Liverpool, England, in 
which there is no saloon, there is but one pauper to 
every thousand inhabitants. In another, containing 
200 saloons, there is one pauper to every twenty-eight 
inhabitants. These facts tell their own unmistakable 
tale. 

Near London Bridge stands the Fire Monument, a 
circular column, the top of which affords a splendid 
view over a large part of the city. The monument is 
202 feet high and was erected in 1671-77 in commem- 



76 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

oration of the great fire of London on September 2-7, 
1666, which destroyed 13,200 houses and 89 churches 
in 460 streets, causing a loss of ^35,000,0 -0. 345 steps 
lead to the top of the monument. The monument 
stands upon a pedestal 42 feet in height, which bears 
inscriptions and reliefs relating to the great fire. 

Hyde Park is a place of popular resort in summer. 
It covers 390 acres and was laid out under Henry VIII. 
Once it was a deer park, and later devoted to horse rac- 
ing. At one of the entrances stands a splendid marble 
arch after the style of the Arch of Constantine in Rome, 
which was originally erected before Buckingham Palace 
at a cost of $350,000. In 1850 it was removed to its 
present place. In the centre of the park is a fine lake. 
This lake is used by many men and boys for bathing 
before 8 a. m. and after 8 p. m. At a certain time a 
flag is hoisted and then hundreds of persons plunge 
into the lake. In winter time the lake is frequented 
by skaters. Hyde Park is a popular place, both for 
carriages and pedestrians. All classes, rich and poor, 
congregate here. It is also a favorite place for the pub- 
lic discussion of ail sorts of questions. Anyone may 
here express his notions upon any subject. Sometimes 
the liberty thus allowed leads to serious results. In 
1866 the famous Reform Riot occurred here, when a 
quarter of a mile of the park -railing was torn up and 
250 policemen seriously injured. 

Immediately to tiie west of Hyde Park is Kensing- 
ton Garden, another park, containing 630 acres. There 
are beautiful lawns upon which at the time of our visit 
hundreds of sheep were grazing. These flocked to the 
entrance and greeted us with their pathetic "" bahs.^' 



CITY OF LONDON (CONTINUED). 77 

On the south side of the Garden is located the beau- 
tiful $600,000 monument to Albert, the consort of 
Queen Victoria, who died in 186] . The base of the 
monument is encircled with reliefs in marble represent- 
ing geniuses of every period, 178 figures in all. These 
are g-rouped as poets, musicians, architects, painters, 
sculptors, agriculturists, manufacturers, tradesmen and 
engineers. In the centre of the lower part is a colossal 
bronze statue of Prince Albert in a sitting posture. 
The monument is 175 feet high. It is a beautiful 
piece of art. 

On the western side of Kensington Garden is Ken- 
sington PaJace. This was formerly the royal resi- 
dence, and here died King William III. and his wife 
Mary ; Queen Anne and her husband, and George II. 
The last- mentioned died in 1760, after which the place 
ceased to be a royal residence. 

In the time of the Romans the city was surrounded 
by a wall, a few fragments of which still remain. We 
saw two of these. One is in the rear of a graveyard 
and serves as the side of a building. A second part is 
in the yard of St. Giles' church. Its circular form in- 
dicates that it was a tower in the wall. (John Milton, 
the author of ^^ Paradise Lost," is buried in St. Giles' 
church.) A third part of the old wall now serves as 
the northern foundation of the new Post Office build- 
ing. The wall is eight feet thick. 

One afternoon we took a ride on top ®f an autobus 
and travelled probably ten miles to the northwestern 
end of the great city. This was an enjoyable trip. 
There was an endless winding through streets, and we 
had a good view of the city away from its centre. On 



78 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the way back we visited Madame Tussaud's famous 
wax- work exhibition. This is a most interesting and 
remarkable collection of wax figures representing a 
large number of famous people the world over. The 
figures are life-size and appear most natural. One feels 
as if one were in the presence of the originals. You 
think you must speak to them. One of our party de- 
sired some information. He saw a young lady sitting 
at a desk near the entrance and addressed her, but re- 
ceived no response. Then he discovered that he was 
speaking to a wax figure. In the basement are tab- 
leaus of various tragedies. These are also exceedingly 
natural, so that the scenes seem very real to the be- 
holder. 

A ride of a number of miles in the underground 
railroad brought us back to our hotel. 

In the city are numerous circles, from each of which 
usually radiate five or six streets. One of these is 
called Ludgate Circus. I often wondered what the 
word " circus" meant: The natural impression is that 
of a show. But it is simply a large circle in the city. 
The name should be Ludgate Circle. / 

One of the beautiful and interesting open places is 
Charing Cross. Here stands a monument in the form 
of a cross, the second one at this spot. The original 
was erected by Edward I. in 1291 where the coffin of 
his wife was set down the last time on its way to 
Westminster Abbey. The original cross was removed 
in 1647 by order of Parliament. 

We devoted one day to the Anglo-Japanese Expo- 
sition, which was a creditable affair. Some of the 
buildings were beautiful, and the exhibits included 



CITY OF LONDON (CONTINUED). 79 

numerous interesting objects. Among the curiosities 
exhibited was the bullet which killed Lord Nelson, 
and Washington's farewell address to the Continental 
army. There were also many fine paintings. 

Half a day we spent in the Zoological Garden in 
Regent Park. The collection of animals and birds is 
large and varied, but some departments are disappoint- 
ing. As a whole the collection is not equal to that in 
Philadelphia. 

On the Thames Embankment stands Cleopatra's 
Needle, an Egyptian obelisk erected there in 1878. 
This famous obelisk was presented to the British gov- 
ernment by Mohammed Ali, and brought to London 
through the generosity of Dr. Erasmus Wilson at a 
cost of $50,000. Its partner is now in Central Park, 
New York city. The London obelisk is of red gran- 
ite, 68| feet high and 8 feet wide at the base, and 
weighs 180 tons. Two large Sphinxes stand at the 
base of the shaft. The inscription informs us that the 
monument was erected by Thothmes III. about 1500 
years before the birth of Christ at Heliopolis, the an- 
cient On, in Egypt. Lateral inscriptions were added 
about two centuries later. During the Greek dynasty 
it was removed to Alexandria, the royal city of Cleo- 
patra, and there erected in the 18th year of Augustus, 
B. C. 12. Thus the obelisk is about 3400 years old, 
surely the most ancient object in all London. 

St. Giles' church is an interesting little house of 
worship. It was erected in the fourteenth century, 
and looks very old. Near the entrance stands a statue 
of John Milton, the author of "Paradise Lost." His 
body is buried within the church. He wrote the fam- 



80 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

ous allegory in a house in Lamb Alley, near the 
church, but this has been demolished long since. Mil- 
ton died in 1674. John Wesley, the founder of Meth- 
odism, was converted at a meeting in Aldersgate 
street, near St. Giles' church, on May 24, 1738. 

The streets in this section, which is the original 
city of London, are very narrow, some of them less 
than ten feet in width. 

We had considerable trouble to locate the Temple 
Church, in the yard of which is the grave of Oliver 
Goldsmith, the author of ''The Vicar of Wakefield." 
The inscription on his tombstone is simple : "Here 
lies Oliver Goldsmith." Within the church are numer- 
ous graves of eminent persons. 

The English nation is at enormous expense in sup- 
porting a number of palaces for the use of the royal 
family. St. James and Buckingham Palaces are large 
affairs. The king and his family reside now here, 
now there. In front of Buckingham Palace is being 
erected a large and splendid memorial to Queen Vic- 
toria, which, when completed, will be one of the finest 
monuments in Europe. It will consist of a column 80 
feet high, surmounted by a bronze Victory. At the 
side of the column will be a colossal statue of the 
queen. 



CHAPTER V*-SCOTLAND. 




Glasgow.— Scottish Lakes.— Edinburg.—Edinburg' Castle. 
Old Churehes.- Holyrood Palace.— John Knox. 

HIS country lies immediately north of 
England and forms the most northern 
part of the United Kingdom. The 
northern part is hilly, and the country 
includes nearly eight hundred islands, 
most of which are quite small. Scot- 
land was an independent nation until 
1707, when it was united with Eng- 
land. 
The Scotch are a religious people. They are strict 
observers of the Sabbath and lay great stress on family 
worship. A good story is told of a pious old man who 
was living alone, because his wife had died. Every 
morning he and his wife had family worship, which 
consisted of Scripture reading, prayer and singing. 
After his wife's death the husband continued the cus- 
tom by himself. Every morning the neighbors would 
hear him sing as of old. 

Glasgow. — The industrial metropolis of Scotland 
is situated on the western coast. Lying on both sides 
of the River Clyde, next to London it is the most 
populous city in Great Britain. Glasgow is also a 
modern city. Previous to 1800 it was of little impor- 
tance. At that time the population was 75,000, but in 
recent years it has increased rapidly, so that it is now 
nearly 800,000. Glasgow is a great business and manu- 
facturing centre. It is also a very smoky place. There 
are many fine buildings. One of the most interesting 



82 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

places is George's Square, in the centre of the city. 
Here are found equestrian statues of Queen Victoria 
(in memory of her visit to the city in 1849) and the 
Prince Consort, as well as figures of James Watt, Sir 
Walter Scott, Robert Burns, David Livingstone and 
several others. James Watt built the first steam-en- 
gine in Glasgow in 1763, and the first steamer on the 
eastern side of the Atlantic ocean was built by Henry 
Bell in 1812, and plied between Glasgow and Greenock. 
At the east end of the square is the magnificent city 
hall, containing a fine staircase of marble and alabaster. 

Glasgow is one of the best governed cities of the 
world. The gas and water works, trolly lines and 
other public utilities are under the control of the mu- 
nicipal government, which has also established model 
lodging houses and public baths. No complaint about 
dishonest officials is heard. 

The cathedral is one of the most interesting build- 
ings. It dates from the twelfth century and is 320 feet 
long, 75 feet wide and 90 feet high, with a tower 22S 
feet in height. The windows are beautiful. They are 
of stained glass from the city of Munich, and are said 
to have cost $500,000. But they make the church very 
dark. In the cathedral is a noted Beadle's Bible, which 
was printed in London in 1617. It was here after the 
Reformation. There are no seats in the nave, the body 
of the Cathedral. Such are found only in the part 
known as the choir. There are no transepts, which 
makes the church very long in proportion to its width. 
The church contains three old battle-flags of the Royal 
Highlanders. Below the church is a famous crypt 
(resting place of the dead). There are 65 pillars, which 



GLASGOW. 83 

are fiDely ornamented, and beautiful windows. It is 
claimed that this is the most beautiful crypt in Great 
Britain. To the east of the cathedral is the Necropolis, 
containing many fine monuments, the most prominent 
one being a column to the memory of John Knox, the 
great reformer of Scotland. 

The University of Glasgow, founded in 1451, is a 
large institution located in the western section. In 
1870 it was transferred to its present splendid build- 
ing, which is in the form of a rectangle, 530 feet long 
and 295 feet wide. The cost of the building was $2,- 
500,000. There are 60 professors and nearly 3000 
students. 

Glasgow and Liverpool are more regularly laid out 
than the other large cities in Great Britain. The 
former has many poor people. Here we saw bare- 
footed women on the streets while we were wearing 
overcoats. There is a city mission at work here. One 
missionary labors among the many cabmen, who can 
never attend church ; two attend the police courts and 
visit prisoners in the cells ; one visits the sick and 
dying in small-pox and fever hospitals, whilst another 
labors among the night police. 

The Scottish Lakes are well worth a visit. 
There are a number of such. We visited Loch Lo- 
mond and Loch Katrine, and were richly repaid. 

We went by train from Glasgow to Balloch, the 
southern end of Loch Lomond, where we embarked on 
a small steamer. The ride was very pleasant and the 
scenery beautiful. This is the largest of all the Scot- 
tish lakes, and its beauty is increased by many wooded 
islands. The lake is 22 miles long, f to 5 miles wide, 



84 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

6 to 630 feet deep and 27 square miles in extent. The 
beautiful sheet of water is flanked on both sides by- 
mountains, the highest of which is Ben Lomond, hav- 
ing an altitude of 3192 feet. The hill tops are mostly 
barren of trees. Our steamboat journey ends at In- 
versnaid. Just before reaching this point we passed a 
beautiful waterfall. 

At Inversnaid the party of tourists, numbering 
some thirty persons, was met by two large coaches, 
each drawn by four horses, and conveyed across the 
country to Loch Katrine, another interesting lake. 
On the way we passed the ruins of an old castle. The 
road was splendid. Between the two places we were 
met by a small band of Scottish bagpipers, who seren- 
aded us and received substantial recognition. 

The end of our coach ride was at Stronachla- 
char, where is the landing of the Loch Katrine 
steamer. We reached the place just in time to escape 
a heavy rain. We were met by another party which 
was traveling the other way. After we alighted from 
the uncovered coaches the party, going in the op- 
posite direction, entered them. But they had hardly 
started, when the rain commenced to fall. They had 
our sympathy. We were sheltered in the boat and 
proceeded on our journey across the lake. 

Loch Katrine is also a beautiful sheet of water. It 
is 9J miles long. The finest part is at the eastern end, 
where steep cliffs alternate with beautiful woods. One 
of the hills is Ben Venue, 2,393 feet high. 

When we reached the end of the lake it rained 
slowly. Coaches were again in waiting, and these were 
at once boarded. The way now led through the fa- 



SCOTTISH LAKES. 85 

mous Trossachs, which name means " bristling coun- 
try," to the railroad station at Callander, about nine 
miles to the east. What should we do ? We had um- 
brellas with us, but we felt certain that we should be 
thoroughly drenched before ending our journey in the 
coach. About a mile from Loch Katrine is the large 
Trossachs Hotel, where the coaches stop forty-five 
minutes for dinner. We concluded to remain over 
night here, and wisely so. The rain increased, and 
those who continued the journey must have had a sad 
experience. The hotel is beautifully located in a lonely 
place. In the rear are high mountains ; in front is a 
fine meadow, then a small lake, and beyond it moun- 
tains. 

Next morning we continued our journey in a coach 
to Callander through the Scottish Highlands. Though 
in a mountain region, the road winds through valleys 
and is comparatively level. The hills are partly cov- 
ered with wood and partly with grass, with cattle and 
sheep grazing here and there. The morning was clear, 
and everything was fresh after the rain. Along the 
roadside were many rhododendron bushes. There 
were also numerous hawthorne trees. Our coachman 
has been going back and forth over this road for 31 
years. He is a pleasant Scotchman. This journey 
through the Trossachs was an enjoyable one. The 
train carried us from Callander to Edinburg. 

Ediis^burg is a very interesting city, where we re- 
mained nine days as delegates to the great World Mis- 
sionary Conference. The population is about 350,000. 
Edinburg is the capital of Scotland, and is situated in 
the east-central part of the country. It dates its his- 



86 KAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

tury baek to 617, when Edwin, King of Northumber- 
land, established a fortress on a high rock, which is 
now in the centre of the city and the most conspicuous 
object in it. Around this fortress sprang up a settle- 
ment which was long known as " Edwin^s Burg." In 
the course of time the name came to be Edinburg, al- 
though all the people say Edinboro. In the tenth cen- 
tury the Scots got possession of the place. During 
many years it was an object of contention between the 
Scots and the English. In 1437 the city became the 
capital of Scotland. The English destroyed it in 1544, 
but the castle made a successful resistance. Hardly a 
house remained outside the fortress. In 1650 Crom- 
well captured the castle. In 1 707 the Scottish Parlia- 
ment was removed to London, upon the union of Scot- 
land with England. During the Reformation the peo- 
ple here had to suffer greatly for their adherence to the 
truth. 

Edinburg is divided into two parts — the old city, 
south and east of the castle, and the new city, north 
and west of the castle. There is a marked contrast be- 
tween the two sections. The old section is inhabited 
by many poor people, whilst the new section is occu- 
pied by the wealthy. The old part abounds in places 
of historic interest. 

The castle stands upon a huge ro«^k, which is 441 
feet above sea-level, and covers eleven acres. This 
rock rises almost perpendicularly on three sides, whilst 
from the east the approach is gradual. We ascend it 
from the latter side. Before reaching the castle we 
pass over a large esplanade used for drilling soldiers. 
Along the right-hand edge of it stand several monu- 



EDINBUKG. 87 

ments. We pass through four gates and a drawbridge 
before we are really inside the castle. One of the gates 
has a portcullis connected with it. Within the castle 
grounds is the quaint St. Margaret's chapel, the small- 
est church in Scotland and the oldest building in Edin- 
burg, erected about 1100. It is a real curiosity. The 
crown room of the castle contains the regalia of Scot- 
land. In Queen Mary's room James I. was born in 
1566. He was the only son of Mary and Lord Darn- 
ley. The old Parliament Hall is now an armory and 
museum, containing numerous Scottish relics. Argyl 
Tower was once a state prison. In the grounds there 
is a huge cannon known as Mons Meg, which is sup- 
posed to have been cast in Belgium. From the top of 
the castle a magnificent view is afforded of the city, the 
river Forth and the Highland Hills. At this point is 
a time-gun, which is fired daily at one p. m., giving the 
correct time. At a little distance from the top of the 
great rock is a small offset, which is devoted to a burial 
ground for favorite dogs of military officers. There 
are twelve dog graves, each one having a small tomb- 
stone like those at the graves of human beings. The 
official guide who showed us around stated that at one 
time the castle was surrendered to thirty men, some of 
whom had scaled the high walls during a dark night. 
This was in 1650, when Oliver Cromwell captured the 
place. 

Next to the castle the most conspicuous object in 
the city is the imposing monument to Sir Walter Scott, 
the famous poet and novelist. There are many other 
monuments and statues in different sections of the city 
— John Knox, the great and fearless reformer ; David 



88 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Livingstone, the African explorer ; Prince Albert, con- 
sorf of Queen Victoria ; Duke of Wellington, Robert 
Burns, etc. 

In 1450 the first city wall was erected, but about 
the middle of the eighteenth century the wall was gen- 
erally broken down, and now only little is left of it, 
except one tower. As stated above, in 1544 the town 
was completely burned by the English, but it was soon 
rebuilt. The Reformation began in Edinburg in 1560, 
and the famous John Knox '^> as made city minister, 
and here he performed the greater part of his reforma- 
tion work. 

Edinburgh is a religious city. There are many 
churches, and all seem to be well attended. It is a 
beautiful thing on Sunday morning and evening to hear 
the many church bells ring, including several chimes, 
and to see large numbers of people flock to the churches. 
The Free Church of Scotland seems to be the strongest 
religious factor here, far more so than the Church of 
England. The Wes^eyans or Methodists are also a 
considerable element in the religious life of the city, 
while the Roman C'atholics are said to be increasmg in 
power. The Episcopal Cathedral of St. Mary's, opened 
in 1879, is one of the largest churches erected in Great 
Britain since the Reformation. 

Friends of the Reformation founded the University 
of Edinburg in 1582. There are now over 3,000 stu- 
dents. Among the famous men who graduated from 
this University are Hume, Goldsmith, James Bruce, 
Walter Scott, Lord Palmerston, Earl Russell, Carlisle, 
Darwin, etc. The University library contains about 
200,000 books and 5,000 manuscripts. 



EDINBURG. 89 

There are many public institutions and charities in 
the city. One of these is the Royal Hospital, which is 
'^ open to the sick and hurt of all countries/' Some 
9,000 patients are treated here every year, at an annual 
expenditure of f 150,000. 

There are many places of historic interest in Edin- 
burg. One of the most interesting is Holyrood Palace, 
where the former rulers of Scotland resided. Among 
these was the unfortunate Mary, Queen of Scots, who 
was beheaded. On the site of the palace formerly stood 
Holyrood Abbey, which was founded in 1128 by David 
I. in memory of the place where he was saved from an 
infuriated stag by the interposition of a mysterious 
cross. The rooms of Queen Mary are still preserved 
and contain some relics of that ill-fated lady. In one 
of the rooms a brass plate on the floor marks the spot 
where David E-izzio, Mary's chief minister, was mur- 
dered on March 9, 1566. A large picture gallery con- 
tains many imaginary portraits of the kings of Scot- 
land. On the north of the palace are the ruins of 
Holyrood Chapel, once a fine building. In this chapel 
Queen Mary was married to Both well, after her hus- 
band. Lord Darnley, had been murdered. The palace 
is located at the eastern end of the old part of the city. 
Near the palace is a small, very old little circular build- 
ing which, it is said, served as a bath-house for Queen 
Mary. 

There are many places of great interest in this sec- 
tion. One is St. Giles' Episcopal church. Next to the 
little chapel at the castle, it is the oldest house of wor- 
ship in the city. The church was erected in the twelfth 
century on the site of an earlier one. In 1385 the 
? 



90 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

greater part was destroyed by fire, but was restored in 
1385-1460. At the time of the Reformation the in- 
terior of the church was defaced and robbed of its artis- 
tic ornaments, after which it was divided into four sep- 
arate churches by means of partitions. In 1871-83 it 
was restored to its original appearance, mainly at the 
cost of Dr. William Chambers, the well-known pub- 
lisher. The four JSTorman pillars which support the 
tower arp supposed to date from the time of the original 
edifice in 1120. There are various memorials, one to 
John Knox, the great reformer. On some of the pil- 
lars hang old Scottish battle flags. An incident of much 
interest occurred in this church during the Reformation. 
In 1637 Charles I. sought to re-establish Episcopal 
worship here. On Sunday, July 23, Bishop Lindsay 
and Dean Hanna undertook to conduct a liturgical ser- 
vice in St. Giles', when Jenny Geddes, a plain woman, 
threw a stool at Dean Hanna, shouting : " Out, thou 
false thief ! Dost thou say mass at my lug ?'' A great 
uproar at once arose and both the Bishop and the Dean 
had to flee for their lives. It was said that this tumult 
was the deathblow to the liturgy in Scotland. Brass 
tablets indicate the places occupied by Jenny Geddes and 
the Dean. The sto©l which the former threw at the 
Dean is preserved in the National Museum at Edin- 
burg. In this church the " Solemn League and Cove- 
nant '^ was signed in 1643. This was a treaty between 
Scotland and England for the securing of civil and re- 
ligious liberty in both kingdoms. John Knox, the 
famous reformer, was for some time pastor of this 
church. 

St. Giles' church was formerly surrounded by a 
graveyard, but this has long since been obliterated and 



EDINBURG. 91 

the site is now occupied by various edifices. One of 
these is Parliament Building, erected in 1633, in which 
the National Congress of Scotland held its sessions until 
the union of that country with England in 1707. Be- 
tween this building and St. Giles' church a stone in the 
pavement marks the grave of John Knox. It bears 
the inscription : '' J. K., 1762." At the burial of Knox 
the Earl of Morton, then Regent of Scotland, said : 
'^ Here lieth a man who in his life never feared the face 
of man." 

What an insignificant stone to mark the resting- 
place of a truly great man ! In the case of many others 
large monuments stand over their graves. But no 
matter. John Knox needs no material monument to per- 
petuate his fame. He is gratefully remembered to this 
day, not only by the Scotch people, but by all who love 
evangelical truth. Besides, there is a beautiful statue 
in white marble in the College of the United Free 
Church in Edinburg, where the World Missionary Con- 
ference of 1910 held its sessions. The statue represents 
Knox with outstretched hands. This feature seemed 
to have a beautiful significance at the close of the ses- 
sions, when the yard was filled with delegates. It 
seemed to me that John Knox was imparting his bene- 
diction upon the men who were considering plans to 
send to the ends of the earth the truth for which he 
contended so earnestly. 

John Knox's simple gravestone reminds us of a 
similar simple stone which marks the grave of the great 
John Calvin in a cemetery in Geneva wdth the letters 
" J. C." as the only inscription,, But neither is John 
Calvin forgotten. 



92 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Not far from St. Giles' church is a quaint old house, 
in which John Knox is said to have resided. The house 
bears these two inscriptions : " Ye house of John Knox, 
and ye shoppe of Queen Mary's Goldsmith." — " Lufe 
God abufe al and yi nichtbour as yi self On the first 
floor books and pictures are sold, and the vsecond floor 
is occupied as a museum. Some question whether Mr. 
Knox ever lived here. I cannot prove that he did. 

In the old Parliament Building the Supreme Court 
of Scotland holds its sessions. Here, in a large hall, 
we saw a curious sight, that of numerous lawyers, wear- 
ing gowns and wigs, walking to and fro, arm in arm 
with clients and consulting with them. Usually law- 
yers attend to this work behind closed doors. There 
is a large library in the basement, parts of it located in 
dingy rooms. This is the largest library in Scotland, 
containing 490,000 volumes and many valuable manu- 
scripts. Here is f )und a copy of the first printed Bi- 
ble of Faust and Gutenberg, the Confession of Faith 
signed by James YI. in 1590, etc. There is also a 
large sitting statue of Sir Walter Scott. This large 
collection of books is known as the Advocates' Library. 

Canongate church is an interesting place. The 
building looks exceedingly old and musty. There are 
many old tombs, some of which are sadly decayed. 
We visited the graves of Adam Smith, tiie famous po- 
litical economist, and Horatio Bonar, the noted hymn- 
writer. 



CHAPTER VL-SCOTLAND (Continued)* 




Edinbupg.— The Covenanters.— The Poof.— Calton Hill.— 

The Great Forth;;Bridge.— The World's Missionary 

Conference.— Melrose Abbey.— Abbottsford. 

NOTHER very interesting old church is 
the Greyfriars' church, fronting on the 
street called Candlemaker^s Row. The 
church is surrounded by a large ceme- 
tery, which contains many very old 
tombs. Perhaps the most interesting 
is the one near the entrance upon whose 
marble slab the famous "National 
Covenant" was signed on February 28, 
1638. Some of the signers wrote their names with 
their own blood instead of ink. By this covenant the 
Scotchmen renounced Romanism and Popery, and sol- 
emnly vowed to stand by each other in the defense of 
the Reformation doctrines. This document had been 
drawn up as early as 1580 and signed by people of all 
classes in 1581, and repeatedly afterwards. In 1638 
it was once more adopted and signed. It seems to 
have been directed especially against the efforts of 
Charles I., King of England, to force the Established 
Church service upon Scotland. The Covenanters had 
to suffer terri«>]e persecution. Many died for the sake 
of their principles. In 1679 the Covenanters were 
badly defeated in a battle at Both well Brig, near Glas- 
gow. Many were killed or captured. 1200 prisoners 
were brought to Edinburg and confined in the north- 
west corner of the graveyard at the Greyfriars' church. 
This place is still to be seen. The prisoners suffered 



94 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

great privations, being crowded into a comparativelj 
small space. 

In the north-east corner of the large graveyard is 
the Covenanters' Monument, consisting of a large 
marble slab erected against the high wall. The in- 
scription recites the story of the Covenanters. Al- 
though long, I copied it and reproduce it here : 

*^Halt, passenger, take heed what you do see, 
This tomb doth shew for what some men did die. 

"^^Here lies interred the du«t of those who stood 
'Gainst perjury, resisting unto blood; 
Adhering to the Covenants and laws, 
Establishing the fame, which was the cause. 
Their lives were sacrificed unto the lust 
Of Prelates abjured. Though here their dust 
Lies mixed with murder, and other crew. 
Whom justice justly did to death pursue ; 
But as for them, no cause was to be found 
Worthy of death, but only they were found 
Constant and steadfast, zealous witnessing 
For the prerogatives of Christ their King. 
Which truths were sealed by famous Guthrie's he^d, 
And all along to Mr Renwick's blood. 
They did endure the wrath of enemies, 
Reproaches, torments, deaths and injuries. 
But yet they're those who from such troubles came, 
And now triumph in Glory with the Lamb. 

"From May 27, 1661, that the most noble Mar- 
quis of Argyle was beheaded, to the 17 th of February, 
1668, that Mr. James Ren wick suffered ; were one way 
or other Murdered and Destroyed for the same Cause 
about eighteen thousand, of whom were executed at 
Edinburg about an hundred of Noblemen, Gentlemen, 
Ministers, and others; noble Martyrs for Jesus 
Christ. The most of them lie here. 

Rev. 6 : 9, 10, 11." 



EDiNBURa (continued). 95 

A high wall encloses Greyfriars' church. On the 
outside numerous houses have been built against the 
wall. They are very old and have a dingy appearance. 

The places described above are in old Edinburg, 
many of whose people are desperately poor. Nowhere 
else in Europe have we observed such poverty except 
in Naples, Italy. The population is very dense, a num- 
ber of families living in a single house. There are 
practically no yards. People must dry their wash by 
hanging it out of windows. Cowgate and Canongate, 
the two principal streets, are alive with children. These 
have no place to play except the narrow pavements and 
the streets. These children were without shoes and 
hats, although we wore our overcoats. The wonder is 
that not many of them are killed in the streets which 
are filled with wagons. As we passed along two little 
ones came very near being run over by a large wagon. 
In the nick of time the mother ran into the street and 
seized the little ones ™a boy by the arm and a girl by 
the hair — and dragged them to the pavement, both yell- 
ing at the top of their voices. Here, as elsewhere, a 
leading cause of the poverty of the people is intemper- 
ance. Liquor is sold in the grocery stores, and in many 
instances both parents . are drunkards. Many, fights 
occur on Saturday evenings, when a large part of the 
week's wages is spent for liquor. This miserable sec- 
tion of the city commences within a stone's throw of 
the hall in which the Missionary Conference was held. 
Surely here is a large field for home missionary work. 
Can nothing be done for these people? What are the 
rich church people in New Edinburg doing for them ? 
Cowgate is a dark spot in this city. 



96 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

As stated, many of the most interesting historic 
places are in this dark section of the city. Tourists 
naturally visit it. Many idle persons stand ready to 
serve as guides for a little pay. Even the children en- 
gage in this profession, and it is surprising how well 
they are versed in local history. A little boy said to 
me : '' Come here ; I will show you something/' and 
taking me through a narrow alley he showed me a 
house in which Sir Walter Scott is said to have lodged 
at one time. The boy guide now said : " Can you spare 
me a penny?'' And a penny (two cents) he received. 
A littlefgirl said to one of our party : " Do you see that 
placej; over there? That is where a man was hanged. 
Can youlspare me a penny ?'' The gentleman replied : 
" So they^hang people there. Do you think they will 
hang me, too ?'' " Oh no, they will not hang such a 
nice man like you.'' Here any one will be considered 
nice who gives pennies. 

At one place we saw several bar?-footed boys sing- 
ing in the street. Their sweet voices brought pennies 
from the pockets of the strangers who listened tothem. 
These boys reminded us of Martin Luther, who when 
a boy was so poor that he used to go out and sing for 
bread. As in tbe days of. Jesus, people always have 
the poor with them. 

The University of Edinburg is a large institution. 
It was ^founded in 1582 by James VI., and now has 
about 150 professors and over 3,000 students. Its 
buildings are large and grand. They are located in 
the old part of the city. At the edge of the Univer- 
sity stood an old house, in which Lord Darnley, hus- 
band of Queen Mary, found a temporary home while 



EDINBURG (continued). 97 

ill from small-pox. During the night of February 9, 
1567, the house was blown up and Darnley killed. It 
is generally believed that the Earl of Bothwell had 
something to do with the tragedy. The suspicion was 
strengthened by the fact that he was married to Queen 
Mary within three months after the murder of Darnley. 

The ISTational Museum of Antiquities is a store- 
house of relics. Among the interesting objects are the 
old pulpit of John Knox, formerly in St. Giles' church, 
and the stool which Jenny Geddes threw at Dean Hanna 
in the same church. (See page 90.) Here is also a 
" guillotine,^' a machine used for beheading criminals. 
It is nicknamed "Scottish Maiden.'' The peculiar 
name is derived from that of its French inventor, Jo- 
seph Ignace Guillotin. In the art gallery connected 
with the Museum there are many portraits of eminent 
Scotchmen. An aged attendant takes great pleasure in 
explaining the paintings. 

The National Gallery contains a good collection of 
paintings by Italian, Spanish and British artists. 

In the eastern part of the city is the old Calton 
Cemetery, containing a number of interesting monu- 
ments. To me the most interesting is the one in mem- 
ory of our immortal American Abraham Lincoln. This 
consists of a large statue of Lincoln, with a slave at 
the base and the word " Emancipation." At another 
place is this quotation from Lincoln : " To Preserve 
the Jewel of Liberty in the Framework of Freedom." 
This monument indicates Scottish love for freedom. 
Another monument is in memory of the Scotch-Ameri- 
can soldiers who died in our Civil War. Then there 
is a monument in memory of David Hume, the great 



98 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

historian — " Born April 26, 1711. Died August 25, 
1776." Two monuments are in memory of Scotchmen 
who fell in the Boer War in South Africa. 

Calton Hill, a little farther east, affords a fine view 
of the city and surroundings. Here is a large monu- 
ment to the memory of Lord Nelson, the English hero 
of Trafalgar. A prominent object is the unfinished 
National Monument. The erection of this monument 
was undertaken by the city of Edinburg to commemo- 
rate the battle of Waterloo, but the work was planned 
on too elaborate a scale, and after a part, including a 
number of splendid pillars, had been erected and a vast 
sum of money spent, it was abandoned. In beholding 
this incomplete work one is reminded of what Jesus 
says of a man who would undertake to build a tower 
without first fully calculating the cost (Luke 14 : 28-30). 

In 1450 a wall was erected around Edinburg. 
About 1745 the wall was broken down in all direc- 
tions, and now only one of its towers remains at the 
boundary wall of Heriot's Hospital. 

One of the well-preserved houses is No. 39 George 
street, in which Sir Walter Scott resided from 1778 to 
1826. A tablet in the wall so informs visitors. 

We also visited the famous Forth Bridge, about 
eight miles northwest of Edinburg. This is the fa- 
mous, gigantic Cantilever Bridge across the river Forth. 
It is 1 J miles long and the loftiest bridge in the world, 
being 450 feet from the base to the highest point. In 
its construction 45,000 tons of steel and 1 2,000 tons of 
iron were used. The largest two spans of the bridge 
are each 1,700 feet long. (The Brooklyn Bridge at 
New York has a span of 1,595 feet.) About $8,000,- 



EDINBURG (continued). 99 

€00 was expeDded in the erection of the Forth Bridge. 
It is stated that 250 tons of paint and 35,000 gallons 
of oil are required to paint this great bridge, and it 
takes three years to perform the work. Daring the 
erection of the bridge at times 5,000 men were em- 
ployed, and 56 persons lost their lives by accidents 
while the work was going on. 

During our visit to Edinburg the ' World Mission- 
ary Conference was held in that city, June 14-23, 
1910. The delegates from the Reformed Church in 
the United States were : Dr. James I. Good, Dr. A. R. 
Bartholomew, Dr. John H. Prugh, Rev. Henry K. 
Miller, Dr. W. E. Lampe, Dr. C. E. Creitz, Rev. John 
F. Moyer, Rev. H. H^ Cook and Daniel Miller. Such 
a conference meets every ten years. The last one was 
held in New York city, April, 1900. Great prepara- 
tions had been made for the Edinburg Conference, and 
it was successful in every respect. Eight commissions 
(or committees), composed of Europeans and Ameri- 
cans, had for months gathered information and formu- 
lated reports which furnished the subject-matter for the 
consideration of the conference. The great purpose of 
the meeting was to consider the best means of sending 
the gospel to all parts of the world in the shortest pos- 
sible time. About two thousand delegates, including 
many missionaries and representing nearly all denomi- 
nations, bad gathered from all parts of the world for 
this great purpose. It was an inspiring sight to see so 
great a gathering of people who differ in non-essen- 
tial matters, but are united in the great cause of evan- 
gelizing the world. 

The conference was opened with a reception on 
Monday evening, June 13, by the Lord Provost (Mayor) 



100 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

and the Town Council. These gentlemen appeared in 
their robes of office, which are of striking character. 
Aboot 4,000 persons attended. The Lord Provost, as 
ilie Mayor is called, and his wife shook hands with the 
jaests, and the former then delivered a cordial address 
of welcome. Lord Balfour and several others made 
suitable replies. 

During the Conference two simultaneous meetings 
were held — one in Assembly Hall and the other in 
Synod Hall — since no meeting place in the city was 
large enough to accommodate all at one time. Lord 
Balfour was made president of the Conference, but D r. 
John R. Mott, of New York, actually presided at most 
of the Assembly Hall meetings. DiflPerent persons 
were chairmen at the Synod Hall. At the opening 
session messages of greeting were read from King 
George and ex- President Roosevelt. 

A good deal of time was devoted to earnest prayer. 
All felt that the success of the work depended upon 
the Lord's blessing. 

On Saturday, June 17, the delegates from the Re- 
formed Church, mentioned above, took dinner together 
at the County Hotel, where four of them sojourned 
during the Conference. This gathering was very pleas- 
ant. When in a strange land and far from home, 
friends are drawn together very closely. The time 
passed only too quickly. 

Our party spent two Sundays in Edinburg. On the 
morning of the first Sunday we attended St. George's 
United Free church. Dr. Alexander Whyte, senior 
pastor, conducted the service and preached on the text 
Matth. 28 : 20. This aged servant of the Lord de- 



EDINBURG (continued). 101 

livered a beautiful sermon in plain language. It was 
the old gospel. Reference was made to the Missionary 
Conference, and the last prayer was almost entirely in 
its behalf. At the close of the regular service the pas- 
tor baptized a child, after setting forth the meaning of 
baptism in apt and touching words. Then followed 
the benediction. 

St. George's is a large congregation, with four pas- 
tors Strangers had to wait in the vestibule until a 
certain hour to give pewholders time to enter. These 
people came dressed in style. The ladies were richly 
garbed, and nearly all the men wore silk hats and car- 
ried canes. While waiting a good while to be ad- 
mitted, I was again convinced that the pew system is a 
necessary evil. Finally all were admitted and the 
place was soon filled. The church is large, but quite 
plain, and the service is free. There is no mitsic ex- 
cept congregational singing, and this is vigorous. 
Scotch people do not believe in choirs. A precentor 
leads the singing. The people have Bibles in the pews 
and follow the minister when he reads the Scripture 
lesson, and also refer to the text as soon as it is an- 
nounced. Their prompt finding of passenges indicates 
their familiarity with the Book. — In the early evening 
we worshiped at St. Andrew's church, when Dr. W. 
M. Macgregor preached a good sermon on ^'PauFs 
Vision.'^ — At 8 p. m. we attended a lecture by Dr. 
Mark Guy Pearce on Hugh Latimer, in the Wesleyan 
Methodist church. The church was crowded and the 
audience constantly applauded the witty speaker. Un- 
fortunately there '^^as more about the speaker than 
Hugh Latimer in the lecture. 



102 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

On the following Sunday morning three of us at- 
tended St. George's church. This time we were 
somewhat disappointed. The sermon was preached by 
a young minister, who employed fine language, but 
furnished little food for hungry souls. In the early 
evening we listened with real joy to Prebendary Webb- 
Pebloe, a venerable, patriarchal looking clergyman. 
His sermon was full of gospel truth. He is thoroughly 
at home in the Bible, and quoted Scripture as few men 
can do. It was a great pleasure to listen to him. 

Melrose Abbey is one of the places usually visited 
by tourists. It is located in a pleasant village of about 
1,400 people, 37 miles southeast of Edinburg. The 
village is a quiet old place, but of little importance. It 
is situated on the river Tweed. Melrose Abbey is con- 
sidered the finest ruin in Scotland, and I think the 
claim is well founded. 

At this place a monastery was founded about the 
year 635. It was burned in 839, and left deserted for a 
long time. In 1136 David I. founded Melrose Abbey. 
This was twice burned by the Euglish. Between 1322 
and 1505 it was slowly rebuilt upon a magnificent scale. 
Forty years after the latter date two English invasions 
commenced the destruction of Melrose Abbey, which 
was made complete by the Reformers. The Abbey 
was a Roman Catholic institution, which fact accounts 
for its destruction by the Reformers. That was long 
before Scotland was united with England. Oliver 
OromweiPg army passed along here and made a target 
of the Abbey for their amusement and the marks of 
their work are still visible. Although in ruins, the 
Abbey still remains a magnificent specimen of mediae- 



MELROSE ABBEY. 10^ 

val art. In its time Melrose Abbey was undoubtedly 
the most beautiful building in Scotland. In looking at 
the ruins one is filled with feelings of sadness. 

Melrose Abbey was 215 feet long and IIS feet wide. 
There was much fine sculpture. Alexander II. and the 
heart of Robert Bruce were buried near the altar. 
Some of the nobility of Scotland and others are buried 
within the church walls. In the yard are the graves of 
some well-known persons. The cloister seems to have 
been 1§0 feet square. There is a yard aside of the 
building, where the monks were in the habit of taking 
exercise, and all along the wall still can be seen stone 
benches, where they used to sit studying in the open air. 
There are numerous statues and busts of eminent saints, 
some of which are still in position, whilst others are 
lying around in various places. The adjoining grave- 
yard is large and contains the remains of many persons 
who were prominent in their day. The property is now 
owned by a duke. 

The village contains a number of hotels for the en- 
tertainment of tourists. Our party took dinner in a 
restaurant conducted by a German lady, who seemed 
much pleased when I spoke to her in her own language. 

Abbottsfoed, the home of Sir Walter Scott, is sit- 
uated three miles west of Melrose. It contains many 
relics of Scott, among them his last suit in a glass case, 
numerous walking sticks and other personal effects. 
His library contains about 20,000 volumes. The sev- 
eral rooms of the great novelist are pretty much as he 
left them at his death on September 21, 1832. Scott 
was twelve years in erecting the large home, which is 
beautifully located on the south bank of the river 



104 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Tweed. Among the relics shown are many gifts from 
noted persons. The collection includes swords, armor 
and weapons of ancient knights and warriors. Mrs. 
Maxwell Scott, a great-granddaughter of the novelist, 
now owns the property. 

Our journey in Scotland is ended. We hasten back 
to Loudon, where we have already spent nine days 
with much satisfaction. Our route is along the east- 
ern coast of Scotland and England, with the North Sea 
in full view for a long distance. There are no hills in 
this section of the country. The region is mostly graz- 
ing land, wiih many cattle and sheep in the fields. 
There is very little wheat raised here, but instead a 
good deal of oats and large quantities of vegetables. 
On the whole it is a fine country. People were mak- 
ing hay. We rode in a fine express train, which car- 
ried us along over a solid roadbed at a speed of about 
fifty miles an hour. Space forbids even referring' to 
the cities through which we passed. 




CHAPTER VIL— BELGIUM* 

Ostend.— Bruges.— Ghent.— Brussels.— Waterloo.— Ant- 
werp.— Liege. 

ELGIUM is located south of Holland, 
and between France and Prussia. The 
country is 173 miles long and about 
100 miles wide. It is one of the smaller 
States of Europe. The population is 
about 7,250,000. In this country the 
population is denser than anywhere else 
in Europe. The largest cities are Brus- 
sels, Antwerp, Liege and Ghent. 
Belgium is a Roman Catholic country. There are 
only about 20,000 Protestants, and some 300 Jews. 
In its more than 1,200 monasteries and convents live 
4,000 monks and 21,000 nuns. Belgium, like Holland, 
is a low country, but not so level as the latter, there 
being a number of hills in different sections. The most 
hilly section is the eastern part, where the railroad 
passes through numerous tunnels. Hardly any fences 
are seen in the country. 

Until 1831 Belgium was a part of Holland. These 
two countries have long been called The Netherlands 
or Low Countries. In the year named the Southern 
Netherlands separated from Holland and became an 
independent kingdom. The first king was Prince Leo- 
pold of Saxe-Coburg, father of the second king Leo- 
pold, who died near the close of the year 1909. 

After leaving London our party proceeded by rail 
to Dover, where we boarded a steamboat and crossed 
the lower part of the North Sea to Ostend, Belgium. 
This short voyage was not at all unpleasant. 
8 



106 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

At Ostend we first set foot upon the continent of 
Europe, and here our baggage was once more examined 
by custom house officers. Ostend is one of the two 
seaports of Belgium, the other one being Antwerp. 
The king has his summer residence at Ostend. Its 
population is about 40,000. Being one of the most 
popular watering-places in Europe, during the summer 
it attracts some 45,000 people. The principal promen- 
ade is the so-called " Digue," a sea wall, which is very 
wide, 25 feet high and three miles long. This wall 
protects the town against the storms of the sea. Ost- 
end is famous on account of its long siege by the Span- 
iards, which it withstood from July 7, 1601, to Sep- 
tember 20, 1604, when it surrendered. The city was 
captured twice since — in 1706 by the Allies and in 
1745 by the French. We did not tarry here, but pro- 
ceeded to Brussels. 

The first place of interest on the way is Bruges, 
the capital of the province of West Flanders. This 
was once a large and important place. It is said that 
in the fourth century it was practically the centre of 
the world^s commerce, with a population of 200,000. 
Now it has only about 50,000, and one-half of its peo- 
ple are very poor. The principal building in the place 
is the Notre Dame church, which has a spire 442 feet 
high, and contains many valuable paintings, exquisite 
wood carving, a statue of the Virgin Mary said to be 
by Michael Angelo, and various monuments. A pecu- 
liar building is a cloth and meat market with a famous 
tower 353 feet high and containing a chime of 48 bells, 
which is regarded as the finest in Europe. The chime 
is known through a poem of Longfellow. This inter- 



GHENT. 107 

esting tower was erected in 1291. In the Gothic city 
hali there is a library of 100,000 volumes. 

Belgium is a fine country, and very fertile. The 
crops were in splendid condition — wheat, rye, oats, 
potatoes, etc. 1 never saw finer grain fields. Here I 
had my first view of the windmills that are so numer- 
ous in Belgium, Holland and in some other countries. 
They are large wooden structures, and are used for 
various purposes— to pump the water out of low lands 
into the canals, grind grain and run sawmills. In Hol- 
land they are most numerous. In that country I saw 
a large windmill which furnished the motive power for 
converting logs into building lumber. In Belgium I 
also saw the first dog-carts. One was drawn by three 
dogs and was used to haul grass. In this country large 
quantities of hops are raised. There are numerous 
meadows and much grazing land. 

Ghent is a large and important city. It is divided 
by canals into 26 islands, and these are connected by 
nearly 300 bridges. The cathedral of St. Bavon, which 
dates back to the thirteenth century, is considered one 
of the finest churches in Belgium. Its spire is 375 feet 
high. The cathedral contains a famous paintiog en- 
titled '' Adoration of the Lamb^' by the Yan Eyck 
brothers. The population of Ghent is about 165,000. 

Brussels (Briissel in German and Bruxelles in 
French) is the capital city of Belgium. Our visit to 
this city was quite interesting. Here we had our first 
experience with people whose language we could not 
speak. The principal languages spoken here are 
French and Flemish. On the way to the hotel I rode 
alongside of the driver of the carriage. He was an 



108 SA3IBLES IN EUKOPE. 

affable and courteous gentleman, and explained to me 
various objects of interest along the way — in French ! 
I assented to all he said, and thanked him. Our land- 
lord spoke some English, and through him we man- 
aged to get along. There is also some Dutch spoken 
here> Addressing a gentlemao, I asked him whether 
he CO aid speak Englisho He replied " Niet." Then 
I asked whether he could speak German, and he re- 
plied : " Ooch niet.^' He was Dutch. Fortunately we 
needed but few directions, since our guide-book gave 
us fall information, and with the help of an excellent 
map we found our way quite easily. These helps we 
used largely in all cities visited. 

Brussels is one of the most beautiful cities in Eu- 
rope, with a population of 730,000. The largest and 
finest house of worship in Brussels is the old St. Gu- 
dule church, which dates back to the thirteenth cen- 
tury, and is adorned with beautiful windows. Its ex- 
terior is quite black and unattractive. The church was 
commenced about 1220 on th^ site of a former one 
which had been dedicated in 1047. Several windows 
are 225 feet high. The representations in the Upper 
half of the windows depict the legendary story of the 
Hosts which were stolen by Jews from St. Catherine's 
church and transfixed in their synagogue. According 
to the legend, the Hosts bled miraculously, which fact 
so scared the guilty ones that they determined to re- 
store them ; but they were punished by death for their 
wickedness. 

By far the most beautiful building in Brussels and 
in all Belgium is the new Palace of Justice, a very 
large and magnificent marble structure. It is a real 



BRUSSELS. 109 

gem. There is hardly a grander edifice m all Europe 
than this one, and very few to equal it. Its erection 
was commenced in 1866 and completed in 1883 at a 
cost of about $ 1 0,000,000 The rotunda is embellished 
with colossal figures of Justice, Law, Strength and 
Clemency. Covering a larger area than St. Peter's 
church at Rome, the building contains 27 large court 
rooms, 245 other apartments and eight open courts. 
The dome is 320 feet high. It is customary for the 
lawyers in this court house to wear gowns with sur- 
plices, and small caps. From the front of this build- 
ing a beautiful view over the city is afforded. 

The royal palace is a large building, but much 
smaller than those of larger countries. In front of the 
palace is a fine park of 33 acres, which was a hunting 
ground in the fourteenth century. This park was the 
scene of a bloody conflict on September 23-26, 1830, 
Avhen Prince Frederick, son of the king of Holland, 
with an army of 10,000 men sought to capture Brus- 
sels, but was driven out. 

An interesting spot in the city is the Place of the 
Martyrs commemorating those Belgians who fell in the 
war with Holland in 1830, which resulted in the inde- 
pendence of Belgium. This war was to the Belgians 
what the War of the Revolution was to the Americans. 

The public library contains some 240,000 volumes 
and 22,000 manuscripts. 

An imposing and interesting building is the City 
Hall. This is a large structure, which was erected in 
sections between 1402 and 1444. There is a beautiful 
steeple, 370 feet high, which is surmounted by a gilded 
metal figure of the Archangel Michael, 16 feet in 



110 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

height, which serves as a vane. In front of the City 
Hall is a large open square used as a market place. Oa 
three sides of the square are numerous old historic 
buildings, many of them belonging to various guilds, 
such as the halls of the Skippers, the Archers, the Car- 
penters, the Printers, the Bakers, the Tailors, the Pain- 
ters, the Butchers, the Brewers, etc. One of these 
buildings covers the site of a former house, which was 
occupied in 1131 by Pope Innocent II. 

In the centre of the old part of the city is the Grand 
Place, a market place, which is one of the finest medi- 
aeval squares in existence. It occupies an important 
position in the annals of the country. In the spring of 
1568 twenty-five noblemen were beheaded here by or- 
der of the Duke of Alva, the bloody Spanish General, 
who captured Brussels in the year stated. In the fol- 
lowing June four other prominent Belgians perished 
here. 

The Picture Gallery contains about 700 paintings 
and is, next to that at Antwerp, the largest in Belgium. 

The University founded in 1834 has some 1,500 
students. Among the varied manufactures of Brussels 
is the well-known Brussels carpet. Many dog-carts 
are to be seen on the streets. The dogs are hitched, 
not before, but under, the carts. Such teams are used 
largely in peddling milk. A certain man was selling 
white sand from a cart drawn by three dogs. At an- 
other point a cart was drawn by a man, a woman and 
a dog. 

While in Brussels we visited the International Ex- 
position in the eastern part of the city. The way 
thither led through a very wide thoroughfare with a 



BATTLEFIELD OF WATERLOO. Ill 

beautiful parkway in the centre. Two rows of large, 
fine shade-trees line the street, with a wide promenade 
in the centre. The exposition was called the "White 
City," because the many buildings were painted white. 
The exhibits were varied and as a whole very credit- 
able. We visited Brussels a second time on August 
11. On August 14 a fire broke out on the exposition 
grounds which destroyed a large number of the build- 
ings, causing a loss of $10,000,000. At the time 
about 100,000 persons were on the grounds, and the 
most intense excitement prevailed. 

It is often claimed that for beauty Brussels rivals 
Paris, only that it is smaller in size. While in Brus- 
sels we saw an airship in the sky, the only one ob- 
served during our trip. 

We spent one day in a side-trip from Brussels to 
visit the Battlefield of Waterloo, about ten 
miles south of the city. This is the place where one of 
the most momentous battles of modern times was 
fought, which resulted in the complete and final over- 
throw of Napoleon Bonaparte. It occurred on Sunday, 
June 18, 1815. On the one side were the allied forces 
of the English, Dutch and Belgians under the Duke 
of Wellington, and the Germans under Gen. Bliicher ; 
and on the other side was the French army under Na- 
poleon. Gen. Bliicher's German army reached the 
battlefield only at 4.30 p. m. The struggle commenced 
at 11.30 a. m. The advantage was rather with Napo- 
leon, until the arrival of Gen. Bliicher, when the French 
army was completely routed, resulting in the deposition 
of Napoleon and his exile to St. Helena, where he died 
on May 5, 1821. Great was the slaughter. The 



112 KAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

FreDchfloss, iDcluding prisoners, was 32,000, whilst 
the allied army lost 22,500, of whom 7,000 were 
Prussians. 

On the battlefield are a number of monuments. 
The principal one is an immense mound erected by 
Belgium, I'known as the Mound of the Lion. It is situ- 
ated at the spot where the Prince of Orange was 
wounded in the great battle, and is 200 feet in height — 
175 to thejbase of the colossal figure of a lion, which 
surmounts it. 226 steps lead up to this point. The 
ascent;^is fatiguing, but, of course, we had to make it. 
Thislion was cast from French cannon captured dur- 
ing the battle, and is said to weigh 28 tons. From the 
top of the mound a good view is afforded over the 
whole bat Jefield. Guides point out the different posi- 
tions occupied by the contending armies. A little 
white house is pointed out as the place in which Napo- 
leon had his headquarters, and where Wellington and 
Biiicher met and shook hands after the great battle. 
Some little distance east of the mound stands a shaft in 
honor of forty-two Hannoverian officers who were 
killed, and close by another in honor of Alexander 
Gordon, an aide of Welling ton. One of the monu- 
ments is an iron obelisk to the memory of the Prussians 
who fell in the battle. 

The village of Waterloo, near which the battle was 
fought, contains a population of about 3,600. The 
church contains a bust of Wellington and numerous 
marble slabs to the memory of English and Dutch offi- 
cers. In a garden near the church stands a small mon- 
umeut|in memory of the leg of the Marquis of Anglesia, 
the commander of the British cavalry, who underwent 
an operation immediately after the battle. 



BATTLEFIELD OF WATERLOO. 113 

Being in an agricultural region, the battlefield is 
now, as it was then, farm -land, and fine crops are raised 
on the soil which during the momentous struggle was 
drenched with human blood. Farmers were engaged 
in cutting grain, and there was still a good deal to cut 
on August 11. The season here is more than a month 
later than in our state of Pennsylvania. Grass grows 
abunduntly oh the sides of the great mound, and at the 
time of our visit a number of cows were grazing at dif- 
ferent points, one about half way up the sharp slope. 
At a certain place along the public road we saw a large 
dog, acting in the capacity of a shepherd. A lot of 
sheep were grazing in a fenceless field and the dog was 
moving back and forth along a line, beyond which the 
sheep were not allowed to go. 

It was no small satisfaction to us to visit the scene 
of the famous battle which ended the career of JN'apo- 
leon, who at one time was the terror of all Europe, and 
who caused the death of several hundred thousand 
people and incalculable suffering. The question here 
decided was whether this monster should continue to 
oppress and impoverish Europe, or whether an end 
should be put to his domination. Few battles in mod- 
ern times had a more decisive result, Napoleon's 
career was here ended as completely as was that of his 
nephew, Napoleon III., on the battlefield of Sedan on 
September 2, 1870. 

Antwerp (Antwerpen in German and An vers in 
Freneh) is situated 27 miles north of Brussels, and 60 
miles from the North Sea. It is one of the principal 
seaports of Europe. What Liverpool is to England, 
that Antwerp is to Belgium. The population is about 



114 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

350,000. There are over 15,000 Dutch and 9,000 
Germans here. The balance of the population is al- 
most entirely Flemish. 

The history of Antwerp extends back to the sev- 
enth century. In 836 it was destroyed by the North- 
men, but was afterwards rebuilt and gradually became 
an important and prosperous city. It is said that in 
the middle of the sixteenth century it was the most 
prosperous and wealthy city in Europe, not excepting 
Genoa and Venice. Its decline commenced soon after 
this period and was due principally to Spanish oppres- 
sion. Thousands of the best citizens were banished be- 
cause of their Protestant religion. In 1576 the city 
was pillaged by the Spanish soldiers, the central part 
of it burned down, and 7,000 citizens killed. 

For the average tourist probably the most interest- 
ing place in Antwerp is the Roman Catholic cathedral, 
the largest and most beautiful Gothic church in Bel- 
gium. Its erection was commenced in 1352, and dif- 
ferent parts were erected at various dates, but it is still 
unfinished. There are two towers, but only one steeple 
is completed, which is over 400 feet high and contains 
a chime of 99 bells. The second one may not be 
erected for, a long time. In 1533 the church was seri- 
ously damaged by fire. 

During a religious riot in Antwerp, which occurred 
in 1556, the frenzied people tore every picture from the 
walls of the church and overturned every statue. In 
1794 the French Republicans greatly damaged the 
building. 

The church is 384 feet long, 212 feet wide and 130 
feet high, and covers an area of 70,000 square feet. 



ANTWERP. 115 

(The Cologne cathedral covers 66,600 square feet ; St. 
PauPs, in London, 84,000; St. Peter's, at Rome, 162,- 
000.) 125 pillars support the roof. The most inter- 
esting objects in the building are Rubens' famous paint- 
ings, the "Elevation of the Cross,'' executed in 1610, 
and the " Descent from the Cross," painted in 1611-12. 
These two paintings are among the few most famous 
pictures in the world, and they attract many thousands 
of strangers to Antwerp, who otherwise would not go 
there. Rubens painted the latter picture soon after his 
return from Italy, where he had spent eight years, and 
while he was still under the influence of the master, 
Michael Angelo. Both pictures make the scenes rep- 
resented exceedingly real and hold the spectator spell- 
bound for a long time. They are the greatest of all of 
Rubens' paintings. He died on May 30, 1640, at Ant- 
werp, and was buried with great pomp in St. Jacques' 
<jhurch of that city. There are also a number of paint- 
ings of superior merit in the various chapels of this 
church. The organ in this church is the largest in Bel- 
gium. It has 90 registers. The floor of the church is 
a graveyard. Many of the graves are very old. People 
have been walking over them during hundreds of years. 
Many of the stones covering the graves contain figures 
of the faces of the departed, but in numerous instances 
the noses of these figures have been worn flat by people 
walking over them. The one unfinished tower detracts 
from ;the external appearance of the building. It is 
also unfortunate that the church is hemmed in by 
houses, which obstruct the view. Except for the one 
high steeple,|it would be difficult for the stranger to find 
the church. 



116 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

We spent some time in the Royal Museum at Ant- 
werp, which is well worth a visit. The first floor con- 
tains over 800 paintings, many of which have been col- 
lected from the suppressed monasteries and churches of 
this city. Naturally much of Rubens' work is found 
here. I can mention only a few of them — Adoration 
of the Magi, the Holy Family, Christ on the Cross, 
the Prodigal Son Feeding on Husks, Christ Crucified 
Between Two Thieves. 

The fourth large city of Belgium is Liege on the 
river Meuse, with a population of about 1 70,000, most- 
ly Walloons. Here the principal church is St. PauFs, 
founded in 968 and completed about 1528, containing 
a famous carved pulpit. There are a number of other 
churches, which are from 400 to 800 years old. Liege 
is noted for its manufacture of firearms, of which it 
produces about 900,000 annually. 

The market places in the cities are in open squares. 
I have not seen a market house in this country. Every 
day is market day. One day produce is sold, another 
meat, another fish, another vegetables, another flowers, 
etc. These street markets are interesting sights. Here 
all sorts of people mingle. " The rich and the poor 
meet together.'^ Much of the products of the farm is 
conveyed to market by dog teams. The dogs travel 
pretty fast and draw heavy loads. 

In Belgium, as elsewhere in Europe, the tourist 
sees many things which attract his attention and curi- 
osity. Many of the people's ways and habits differ 
from those of us Americans, and one is inclined to won- 
der why this should be so. We think our ways of do- 
ing things are best, and no doubt these people believe 



LIEGE. 117 

theirs are best. However it matters little, if only peo- 
ple are comfortable and happy. And yet we cannot 
help wondering why people should differ so much in 
their views as to what is best. 

The traveller is impressed with the great age of 
many buildings, especially in cities like London, Paris, 
Berlin, Rome, Vienna, etc. But we must remember 
that Europe is old, whilst America is still young. We 
Americans make much of buildings that are a hundred 
years old, but what are they compared with buildings 
which have stood a thousand or more years ? In Eu- 
rope there are many such ancient structures. Some of 
the great cathedrals have been hundreds of years in 
building ; of course not continuously. The work was 
often interrupted long by lack of money, war and other 
causes. But the plans were made upon an elaborate 
scale, and it took much time to carry them into effect. 
The people built for the long future. Many buildings 
have the appearance of great solidity. In America 
people build frequently with a view to selling, and in 
such instances they are not especially careful about the 
character of the work. 



CHAPTER Vm.— THE RHINE COUNTRY. 

Cologne.— The Great Cathedral.— St. Ursula Church. - 
River Rhine.— Rhine Country.— Ehrenbreitstein. 
Draehenfels.— Mouse Tower.— Coblentz. 
Old Castles. 




ROM the city of Brussels, Belgium, we 
went by rail to Cologne on the river 
Rhine. For the most part the country 
is very flat and fertile, but the eastern 
part of Belgium is somewhat hilly, and 
we passed through numerous tunnels. 
One of these is 2,500 feet long. 

The first place we reached in Ger- 
many was Herbesthal, where we were 
delayed some time by the German custom house officials, 
who examined our baggage. A short distance west of 
this place we crossed the frontier into Germany. This 
was done without a jar. The country is beautiful and 
productive. Here the farmers were also making hay 
on June 22. 

The next place of any size is A ix-la-Chapelle 
(Aachen in German). This place played an important 
part in early history. It is regarded as the birthplace 
of Charlemagne, the king of the Franks and emperor 
of Rome. He frequently made it his residence and 
died here in 814. His grave is in the ancient cathe- 
dral at this place. The town hall contains the cele- 
brated coronation hall, 162 feet long and 60 feet wide, 
in which 35 German emperors and eleven empresses 
were crowned. In the Middle Ages this free city had 
100,000 inhabitants. The city was frequently the resi- 
dence of the Frankish kings. In 1656 a fire destroyed 



120 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

4,000 houses, and after this the place decliDed rapidly. 
At present it has a population of nearly or quite 150,- 
000, of whom all are Catholics, except about seven per 
cent,, who are Protestants. 

At Aachen we had to turn our watches ahead another 
hour. We were now just six hours ahead of the people 
of Pennsylvania, When we awakened in the early 
morning some of our friends at home had probably 
not commenced to sleep. 

By and by the tall spires of the great cathedral at 
Cologne loomed up before us and soon the train landed 
us in that large German city. 

Cologne (Kolu in German) is one of the most im- 
portant commercial cities in he Rhenish Province of 
Prussia. It was founded before the Christian era, and 
is therefore very old. Its population is 430,000, five- 
sixths of whom are Catholics. The city is located on 
the left or western bank of the famous river Rhine. 
There is an iron and a pontoon bridy^e across the river. 
The city is strongly fortified and contains a garrison of 
8,000 soldiers. Cologne is located in the province of 
Lorraine, which, with the province of Alsace, w^s a part 
of Germany for many centuries until both were wresi^d 
from that country in 1697 and united with France. 
Germany never forgot her loss and ever hoped for an 
oppertunity to win back her lost rich provinces. This 
opportunity came in 1870-71, when as a result of the 
overthrow of Louis Napoleon during the war with 
France, Alsace and Lorraine were won back to Germany. 
The probability is that they will ever remain a part of 
the German empire. For much as France may desire 
to reconquer them, it will likely never possess the power 



COLOGNE. 121 

to do SO. Since the war of 1870-71 Germany has 
greatly increased in population and power, whilst France 
has remained stationary. It is true that the people of 
the two provinces had become thoroughly French. At 
the ;time of the last change 160,000 expressed their 
preference for continued union with France, but this 
did not alter the course of events. When the change 
actually took place 50,000 Frenchmen refused to become 
German subjects, and emigrated from the provinces. 
By this time everything is Germanized. A new gener- 
ation has grown up since the change, and the enforced 
German instruction in the schools has had its eifect. I 
asked a gentleman in Coblentz whether the French 
people had become fully reconciled to the change. He 
replied in the affirmative and stated that those who 
were dissatisfied at the time of the change left the coun- 
try, and everything is now German. The two prov- 
inces are rich and prosperous, and no wonder that Ger- 
many desired them back, and that France grieves over 
the fact that they have been returned to Germany. 

The principal object of interest in Cologne is the 
great Catholic Cathedral or Dom, which is regarded as 
one of the grandest Gothic structures in Europe, and 
such it is. Our hotel was located within a short dis- 
tance of it and we visited the cathedral several times. 
It is simply an immense and magnificent structure. 
The massive front with its two great spires is somewhat 
out of proportion to the body of the cathedral. 

A church was erected at this place in 814. In 1248 
it was destroyed by fire. The present elaborate build- 
ing was commenced in 1270-75. The choir, the first 
part completed, was dedicated in 1322. Other parts 
9 



122 RAMBLES IN EUROPfe. 

were built at various dates, but only in 1863 was the 
church proper completed, except the great spires. These 
were finished in 1880, and on October 15 of that year 
the completion of the work was celebrated in the pres- 
ence of Emperor William I. In 1796 the unfinished 
and dilapidated church was by the French converted 
into a hay magazine, and the lead of the roof was ab- 
stracted. The amount expended upon the completion 
of the work from 1842 until 1880 was about $4,500,000. 
It is estimated that the total cost of the structure m 
$10,000,000. 

This great church is 440 feet long, 240 feet wide, 
and its two spires are 515 feet high. The great bell in 
one of the spires, called " Kaisersglocke,'' is the fourth 
largest in the world. Cast in 1887 from 22 French 
cannon, it is 14 J feet high, 11 J feet in diameter, and 
weighs nearly 27 tons. The principal door of the 
cathedral is 96 feet in height. 

The interior of the cathedral is also grand and mas- 
sive. A number of archbishops are buried here. The 
room known as the Treasury contains a number of ob- 
jects of great interest. There are a number of costly 
monstrances used jn Catholic worship, one of which 
is said to be worth |80,000. Much gold was used in 
their manufacture. There is a Papal Bull (an edict of 
the Pope) of the thirteenth century ; a thorn of the 
Savior's crown, a piece of wood from the original cross, 
the head of the staff of St. Peter, etc. In a chest 
are the heads of the three Wise Men, who came from 
the East to worship Jesus. These are said to have been 
brought to Constantinople by the Empress Helena. 
They were afterward taken to Milan, and in 1164 pre- 



THE GREAT CATHEDRAL. 123 

sented by Frederick Barbarossa to Archbishop Reinald 
van Dassel, by whom they were removed to Cologne. 
This is the story. Unfortunately these heads are not 
shown to the public. We could look only at the out- 
side of the casket. One of our party asked the man in 
charge of the Treasury whether these were really the 
heads of the Wise Men, and he replied : " I cannot 
prove it ; but why not believe it f Ah, that is it. In 
the Roman church the people are expected to believe 
an3^thing, and ask no questions. This was the first 
time we came into close contact with the remains of men 
from the time of Christ. Subsequtjntly, in St. Peter^s 
church, we stood before the tomb which, according to 
the claims of Rome, contains the bodies of St Paul 
and St. Peter, (In the cathedral of Treves, about sev- 
enty miles southwest of Coblentz, there is preserved 
the '^Holy Coat,'^ which is claimed to have been 
Christ's coat that was " without seam." It is reported 
that two million pilgrims viewed this wonderful relic 
in the year 1891. But it is a peculiar fact that at least 
nineteen other places claim to possess the identical 
" Holy Coat.'' 

Whilst the population of Cologne is overwhelm- 
ingly Catholic, there was a time when Protestant ser- 
vices were conducted in the cathedral. During the 
Reformation two of the electors of Cologne, Herman 
and Gebhard, became Protestants, and as a consequence 
evangelical services were several time*^ held in the 
cathedral. At the present time there are some 30,000 
Protestants in Cologne. 

Another equally interesting church in Cologne is St. 
Ursula church, in which are preserved the skulls and 



124 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

large quantities of the bones of 11,000 virgins. The 
story is that in the twelfth century St. Ursula, a pious 
lady, supposed to have been the daughter of a British 
king, led 11,000 virgins by way of Cologne and Basel 
to Rome for baptism. Upon their return they fell 
into the hands of a horde of Huns at Cologne, who 
murdered all of them. They were buried at the 
place. The story has often been denied, and as often 
reiterated. From time to time when digging in the old 
Roman cemetery many bones were found, and some one 
declared them to be the bones of the 11,000 slain vir- 
gins. The fact that some of the remains were proven 
to be those of males made no difference. At any rate 
the Catholics of Cologne believe the story. One large 
room in St. Ursula church is filled with skulls and 
bones. Under the floor of the choir there is said to be 
a two-foot layer of the bones of the virgins. Near the 
door in the church is a fine statue of St. Ursula. It is 
sad that so much emphasis is laid upon dead men's 
bones. Such relics play a large part in the history of 
the Roman Churc^h. In the room mentioned there is 
also a jug from the marriage feast of Cana, a thorn 
from the Savior's crown and a piece of the cross. The 
skull of St. Ursula receives special veneration. The 
church stands upon the site of a former one belonging 
to the fourth century. The present building is said to 
date from the eleventh century. Every appearance in- 
dicates its great age. 

Another very ancient building is St. Cecelia con- 
vent and church, which is said to have been rebuilt as 
early as 930. The church of St. Gereon claims to pos- 
sess the bones of St. Gereon and of the 308 martyrs of 



RIVER RHINE. 125 

the Theban legion who were slain during Diocletian's 
persecution. 

In the so-called Haymarket, one of the largest pub- 
lic squares, stands a fine monument to Frederick Wil- 
liam III., erected in 1878 to commemorate the libera- 
tion of the Rhenish provinces from French domination 
and their union with Germany. There are a number of 
monuments at other points — a colossal equestrian statue 
of Emperor William I., one to his wife. Empress Au- 
gusta, and still another to Frederick William IV. 

On a beautiful morning we set our eyes for the first 
time upon the famous and historic river Rhine. It 
need not be stated that we did this with great enjoy- 
ment. We had read and heard much about this stream. 
The trip from Cologne to Mayence, a distance of 116 
miles, we made by steamboat on the Rhine, instead of 
travelling by train. 

It requires over twelve hours to cover this distance, 
and we concluded to break the journey by tarrying over 
night at Coblentz. This ride on the Rhine was one of 
the most enjoyable parts of our whole itinerary. 

The river Rhine is one of the most noted streams 
in Europe. The Germans almost venerate it. It 
abounds in historic interest. It rises in the Alpine re- 
gions of Switzerland at an elevation of over 7,000 feet 
above the level of the sea. It flows northward through 
Switzerland, Germany and Holland. In the latter 
country it divides and one part flows into the North 
Sea, whilst the other empties into the Zuider Zee The 
river is 760 miles long, of which 660 are navigable. 
The length is not great, when compared with our own 
Mississippi, which is 4,100 miles long. Near Schaff- 



126 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

hausen, SwitzerJand, are the Rhine Falls, where the 
water pluDoes nearly 70 feet in three bounds. Much is 
made of these falls, but the American who has seen 
Niagara Falls is not much iD:ipressed by them. The 
river drains the Rhine Valley, covering an area esti- 
mated at 75,000 square miles. In its course the stream 
receives into its bosom a number of smaller rivers — the 
Neckar, the Main, the 111, the Nahe, the Moselle, the 
Wupper, the Ruhr, etc. The river is wide and the cur- 
rent is quite swift. The width varies from 567 feet at 
Basel to 1,596 feet at Bonn, 

The Rhine Valle}^ is a very fertile country, and 
immediately upon the banks of the river or near it 
are located many interesting cities and towns, such as 
Schaffhausen, Basel, Miilhausen, Strasbur^, Heidelberg, 
Spires, Mannheim, Bingen, Coblentz, Bonn, Cologne, 
Diisseldorf, Elberfeld^ etc. Ot5 the banks of the Rhine 
are extensive vineyards, whose wine is celebrated widely. 
At certain places many fish are found in the stream. 

The first steamboat appeared on the Rhine in 1817. 
Now more than 18,000 vessels ply upon the river an- 
nually. During our trip we passed many steamboats 
and other craft, including two very large rafts of more 
than 1,000 logs each. 

The Rhine country was the scene of many bloody 
conflicts between the armies of Europe. There were 
numerous castles and fortresses, and these rather invited 
attacks than afforded protection to the people. On the 
banks of the river are to be seen a large number of old 
castles and fortresses, many of which are in ruins. 
They are deserted, but their ruins tell many a tale. One 
of the great fortresses remaining is Ehrenbreitstein, lo- 



EHINE COUNTRY. 127 

cated directly opposite Coblentz. It is situated upon a 
high rock, which is iaaccessible on three sides. It is 
387 feet above the libine. The first fortress was com- 
menced in 1672. Sixteen years later it was besieged 
by the French, but without success. It played an im- 
portant part during the Thirty Years' War. In 1799 
the French succeeded in capturing it, after a heroic de- 
fence, and in 1801, upon the conclusion of the peace of 
Luneville, they blew up the works. In 1815 it was 
given to Prussia, and in 1816-26 the great fortress was 
restored and is now practically impregnable. 

On the right bank of the Rhine, eight miles from 
Bonn, are the Siebengebirge (seven mountains), the 
highest of which is called Drachenfels, or Dragon's 
Rock, 1,056 feet high. It derived its peculiar name 
from several legends. One is that a huge dragon abode 
here which consumed human beings brought to it by 
people who worshipped it. A Christian maiden about 
to be offered to him made the sign of the cross, which 
frightened the dragon so much that he leaped into the 
river and was heard of no more. Another legend is 
that the dragon was slain by Siegfried, the hero from 
the Low Countries, who bathed himself in the dragon's 
blood and thereby became invulnerable. Half way up 
the peak there is a cavern in which the dragon is said 
to have had his abode. The stone for the erection of 
the great cathedral at Cologne, described on a previous 
page, was quarried at this place, wherefore it is called 
Dombruch, or cathedral quarry. The summit of the 
Drachenfels affords a magnificent view of the surround- 
ing country. 

Very many historic associations cluster around the 
Rhine. It forms the theme of one of the German na- 



128 RAMBLES IN EUEOPE. 

tional hymns, " Die Wacht am Rhein/' composed in 
1840 by Max Schneckenburger. It was the singing of 
this hymn which so greatly inspired the German army 
in 1870 as it marched into France to meet the army of 
Louis I Napoleon, and the hymn contributed no little to 
the achievement of the great victory at Sedan which 
ended the career of Louis Napoleon, as the victory at 
Waterloo'^had ended the career of the first Napoleon in 
1815. 

It is impossible to fully describe the grandeur of 
the scenery along the historic Rhine. For some dis- 
tance)' above Cologne the country on both sides of the 
stream ^s level, and apparently no higher than the 
river. At several places we saw women bleaching 
linen [on 'the shore. At another point a woman was cut- 
ting grass with a sickel. Women perform a great deal 
of the^work in the fields. After awhile the scene 
changes,' and the country is hilly all the way to May- 
ence. For upwards of a hundred miles the hillsides 
are covered^^with vineyards. These extend high up 
steep hills. In order to retain the soil the hillsides 
have^been terraced, involving an enormous amount of 
labor. The vines were all vigorous and presented a 
beautiful appearance. In many places there were also 
small f patches of grain between the tracts of grape vines. 
This gave the hillsides a variety of colors and made 
them ; look a good deal like patched quilts. The whole 
presented a picture of great beauty. Then there are 
numerous towns, large and small, along the line, at some 
of which the steamer stopped. At certain points the 
riverj, winds a good deal, and there are many pictures of 
surpassing beauty presented. 



COBLENTZ. 129 

There are numerous legends connected with the 
Rhine country. One of them is in reference to the so- 
called Mouse Tower, which stands in the middle of the 
stream near Bingen, and is as follows : In the middle 
ages it was customary for the Bishops to provide for the 
temporal wants of their flocks. At a certain time the 
grain in that region was destroyed by rain. The people 
appealed to Bishop Hatto, whose graneries were filled. 
He invited them into his barn to get provisions, but 
when they were in he barred the doors and burned all 
to death to get rid of their entreaties. Soon a horde of 
rats consumed his remaining grain, and then attacked 
his person. He fled to his tower in the Rhine, and 
barred the doors and windows. But when his head 
pressed his pillow, a scream came from beneath it, and 
there were rats above, beneath and around him, and 
they literally consumed the miserly bishop. 

In our subsequent journeys we crossed the Rhine 
several times. 

We spent parts of two days at Coblentz on the 
Rhine, at the confluence of the river Moselle with the 
Rhine. This is the capital of the Rhenish Province of 
Prussia, with a population of over 50,000. The town 
was founded by the Romans. We were now in the 
wine-growing region and our hotel bears the name 
Grape Hotel. One of the first objects which strike the 
visitor is the fine promenade along the Rhine north- 
ward to the confluence of the two rivers. This place 
is called " Deutsche Eck '^ (German Corner). It is a 
beautiful spot, which affords a fine view of the river 
and the great fortress Ehrenbreitstein across the river. 
At this point stands a large and magnificent monument 



130 KAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

to Emperor William I., erected by the Rhine Province 
in 1897. The copper equestrian statue of the famous 
emperor is 46 feet high. It bears these words of the 
emporer : ^^ Nimmer wird das Reich zerstoret wenn ihr 
einig und treu seid.'^ (The empire will never be de- 
stroyed if you are united and loyal.) Below follow the 
words : ^^ To William the Great.'' This memorial is 
considered one of the finest personal monuments in the 
world. From here we had a fine view of the old Mo- 
selle Bridge, erected about 1344, restored in 1440, and 
widened in 1884. At another place stands a fine mon- 
ument to the German empress Augusta, wife of the 
above-named emperor. This couple was greatly beloved 
by these people. 

The Royal Palace is well worth a visit. It was 
erected in 1778-86 for Clement Wenceslaus, the last 
Elector of Treves, who in 1786 transferred his residence 
to Coblentz. He occupied the palace until 1794. After 
the French occupation it was devoted to military pur- 
poses. Frederick William IV. of Prussia restored it 
in 1842-45. In 1850-58 the palace was occupied by 
the Prince of Prussia (afterward Emperor William I.), 
when military governor of the Rhine Provinces. The 
building contains a number of fine paintings, including 
portraits of the Electors of Treves from 1511 to 1812, 
Here, as subsequently in Berlin, we were supplied with 
large slippers, in which we passed through the palace 
so as not to injure the floors. It was a novel and comi- 
cal arrangement. 

St. Gaston's church, the oldest in the Rhine district, 
is in this town. It was founded in 836, but dates, in 
its present form, from the twelfth century and was dedi- 



COBLENTZ. 131 

cated in 1208. It has four towers —two in front and 
two in the rear. Naturally it has a very old appear- 
ance. Near to the church is a monumental fountain, 
erected in 1814 in memory of the campaign of that 
year. 

Over the door of the church of Mary the Virgin are 
the words : 

^' DIr, o Maria, Jungfrau rein. 
Lass Coblentz anbefohLen seln. " 

In 1887 a " Mission" was held here, in connection 
with which the following promise was hang upon the 
wall inside the door : '^ Jeder Christglaubige, der vor 
diesem Kreuze 7 Ave Maria zu Ehren der Schmerzen 
Maria betet, und Reue und Vorsatz erweckt, gewinnt 
einen Ablass von 7 Jahren und 7 Quadragenen. — Gre- 
gor Xyi. 21 Mai, 144." I had thought these things 
belonged only to ante-Reformation days. There are 
also a number of Protestant churches in the town. 

One of the interesting objects of Coblentz is a Mon- 
umental Fountain, erected in 1812 by the last French 
Prefect in commemoration of the French campaign 
against Russia. The French inscription is : " Memor- 
able Parla Campagne Contre Les Russes." Later the 
Russians under Gen. St. Priest came here and added 
these ironical words to the inscription : " Seen and ap- 
proved by the commander of the Russians at Cob- 
lentz." 

Coblentz is divided into the old part and the new 
part. In the former the buildings are ancient, the 
streets are very narrow and much filth exists. In the 
new part the buildings are more modern, but every- 



132 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

where the streets are narrow. Among the street scenes 
are many dog carts. I saw a cart containing the car- 
cass of a large hog drawn by a dog. Here hod -carriers 
use a kind of yoke, from both ends of which bricks are 
suspended. This is no doubt easier than to carry them 
only on one shoulder. Many school children carried 
their books and lunches in little knapsacks on their 
backs. A small circus was giving an exhibition in the 
town, and its tent was surrounded by a large number 
of boys. They made enough noise to qualify them as 
representatives of Young America. The traveller here 
as elsewhere comes across many strange signs and 
names of streets. Nearly all the German signs are 
in Latin letters. One of the streets bears the name 
of " Castorpfaffen Strasse." The pavements are only 
about four feet wide, and many people must walk in 
the streets. There is much crowding at times in the 
narrow streets, the centre of which is occupied by street 
railways. 

It was a cold day as we left Coblentz on June 24 to 
pursue our journey up the Rhine. The ride was fully 
as enjoyable as on the day before, if not more so. On 
the way many interesting objects are to be seen. At 
Ober Lahnstein a little church standing upon an emi- 
nence presents a beautiful appearance. Stolzenfels is an 
old castle, so is Konigstuhl. Others are Rheinfels, 
Schonburg, Gutenfels, Furstenberg, Rheinstein, Ehren- 
fels. Mouse Tower (mentioned on page 129), Schloss 
Johannisberg, Jagdschloss, etc. The numerous towns 
and villages along the shore on both sides present a 
beautiful picture. There were numerous tourists on 
board the steamer, and most of them by means of guide- 



ON THE RHINE. 133 

books and maps were locating points of interest. The 
passengers were quite cordial and communicative. Some 
were interested in our party of Americans. A young 
German was eager for information about our country, 
since he often thought of going thither. The average 
European has little conception of the size of the Amer- 
ican Union. When told of the size of our state of 
Texas, the young German expressed his surprise in lan- 
guage that is unprintable. 

After a delightful voyage our steamer reached the 
city of Mayence at five o'clock in the afternoon of June 
24. The trip will long be remembered. Steaming up 
stream is much slower than going in the opposite direc- 
tion, because as a rule the current of the Rhine is swifl. 
The fall of the river between Mayence and Cologne is 
123 feet. 



CHAPTER IX.— RHINE COUNTRY (Continued)- 



Mayenee.— Worms.— Luther Monument.— Old Cathedral. 

Strassburg.— The Cathedral.— Famous Clock. 

Speyer. 




LONG the Rhine are several famous and 

valuable mineral springs. The largest 

is the Apollinaris Spring, discovered in 

1851, which furnishes the well-known 

water of that name. This water is sold 

almost everywhere in Europe, and the 

sales amount to thirty million bottles 

annually. Near the hill Konigstuhl 

is a mineral spring which rises under 

the bed of the Rhine. The water is tapped 1,100 feet 

below the surface. It resembles Selter's water. Five 

million bottles are sold annually. 

The name of the famous water may have been de- 
rived from the little Apollinaris church standing 24 
miles below Coblentz on the Rhine, which has an inter- 
esting history. This place was formerly a much fre- 
quented shrine. In 1164 Frederick Barbarossa is said 
to have presented the head of the highly revered St. 
Apollinaris to Archbishop Reinald von Dassel, of 
Cologne. The latter was once in the act of conveying 
this head, together with the heads of the Wise Men, 
mentioned on page 122, when by some miraculous 
agency the vessel stopped in the middle of the river 
here and refused to proceed until the head of St Apol- 
linaris had been safely deposited in a chapel on the 
Apollinarisberg. The head is now kept in the lower 
part of the little chapel here. 



136 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

The city of Mayence (German Mainz) is situated 
on the left bank of the E-hine, opposite the influx of the 
river Main, in the grand-duchy of Hesse. It is a 
strongly fortified city, of the size of Reading, Pa., hav- 
about 95,000 population. Over one third are Protes- 
tants, 3,200 Jews, the rest Catholics. On account of 
its important strategic location Mayence has had a 
stormy and interesting history. It is noted as the 
birthplace of Gutenberg, the inventor of printing, who 
established his first printing office here about the year 
1447. There is a fine statue of Gutenberg, designed 
by Thorwaidsen, erected in 1837. His house is still 
marked by a memorial tablet, as are the houses of 
Johannes Faust and Peter Schoffer, his fellow inventors 
of printing. 

There are various places of interest in the city. The 
principal one is the cathedral, which ranks, like those 
of Speyer and Worms, among the grandest monuments 
of German mediaeval art. There was a cathedral in 
Mayence as early as 406, but it was destroyed, as were 
several others erected subsequently. In 1159 the 
church served as a fortress. The present building was 
erected in sections at different times. It is surmounted 
by several spires and a large octogonal central dome. 
In the French period the cathedral was used as a mag- 
azine and barracks. In 1814 it was restored to sacred 
uses. 

The interior is 366 feet long, 150 feet wide and 90 
feet high. 56 pillars support the roof. There are nu- 
merous paintings of scenes from the Old Testament and 
the life of Christ, and also many monuments in the 
church. 



MAYEISCE. 137 

The Roman- German Museum contains an anti- 
quarian and historical collection unequalled elsewhere 
in Europe. In the library section there are 200,000 
volumes and 1,200 manuscripts dating from the eighth 
century onward. The Gutenberg room contains docu- 
ments relating to the inventor whose name it bears. In 
the Schiller Square stands a fine bronze statue of Schil- 
ler amidst many chestnut trees. The city possesses also 
a number of fine Protestant churches. 

Mayence is a beautiful city. Its history dates back 
to the year 13 before Christ, when Drusus, son-in-law 
of the Roman Emperor Augustus, established a camp 
here. The place soon attracted numerous settlers and 
«re long became the base of the Roman campaigns in 
Central Europe. In 1462 Archbishop Adolph, of 
Nassau, attacked the city and killed 500 of the citizens. 
The Margrave of Brandenburg in 1552 ravaged the 
town. During the Thirty Years' War it was captured 
by three different parties— in 1631 by the Swedes, in 
1635 by the Imperialists, and in 1644 by the French. 
The town is now under the government of the German 
Empire. 

Worms is the next city visited by our party. This 
interesting municipality is located on the western bank 
of the Rhine in HessB Darmstadt. It is one of the 
oldest and was during the Middle Ages one of the most 
important cities of Germany, and is now strongly forti- 
fied in thoroughly modern style. Of the old fortifica- 
tions only two towers and a part of the inner wall re- 
main. The city is located in a highly fertile and beau- 
tiful country. Nearly two-thirds of its 45,000 inhabi- 
tants are Protestants, one-third Catholics and 2,500 
10 



138 KAMBLE8 IN EUROPE. 

Jews. On our way to Worms we saw a large crucifix 
in a field, a sight that we frequently noticed subse- 
quently. In Italy we saw a cross on the top of a hay 
stack. These evidently indicate a pious and worship- 
ful spirit on the part of the Catholic farmers. 

The history of Worms commences in the Roman 
period. For a short time, during the incursions of the 
barbarian hordes, it was the capital of the Burgun- 
dians, who had descended from the Baltic Sea. These 
were driven out by the Huns in 437. The Frankish 
kin^s and subsequently Charlemagne and his successors 
frequently resided at Worms. It and Mayence in 1254 
laid the foundation for the powerful Confederation of 
Rhenish Cities. During the Middle Ages the popula- 
tion had reached 60,000. In the Thirty Years^ War 
the city suffered most severely. It was occupied at 
various times by the French, the Spaniards and the 
Swedes. In 1689 the town was treated most cruelly by 
the French general Melac. After it had been pillaged 
it was set on fire and almost entirely destroyed, except 
the cathedral and the synagogue. The town was re- 
built, but never recovered its former size or importance. 

Worms is known largely on account of the famous 
church diet held there in 1521, called by Emperor 
Charles V. of Germany, for the purpose of suppressing 
the Reformation. It was a noted assembly. The Em- 
peror presided. Among those in attendance were six 
Electors and many other persons of note. Luther, as- 
sured of a safe conduct, was summoned to trial. His 
friends advised against his attending, because they felt 
that it meant certain death to him. But attend he 
would. Feeling it his duty to defend the truth, he de- 



WORMS. 139 

clared that he would go to Worms, even if there were 
as many devils there as tiles on the roofs of the houses. 
He made a noble and memorable defence of the truth, 
and after showing that his position was grounded upon 
God's Word, Luther made that ever memorable declar- 
ation before the assembly : '^ Here 1 stand. I cannot 
do otherwise. God help me. Amen." Luther's doc- 
trines were condemned by the diet, but they still lived. 
Upon his leaving Worms, his friends, at the instigation 
of the Elector of Saxony, made Luther a prisoner and 
carried him to the old castle of the Wartburg, where 
he spent a long time in translating the Bible. It was 
a friendly capture. The building in which the diet was 
held is no longer standing. 

The most interesting place in Worms is the Luther 
Place^ where stands a magnificent monument to Luther 
which was erected in 1868, representing 12 years' labor 
and costing about $85,000. An 11 foot statue of Lu- 
ther stands upon a high pedestal, and presents an im- 
posing appearance. He holds a Bible in his left hand, 
whilst his right hand rests upon the Book, and his face 
is turned upward. At the four corners of the monu- 
ment are figures of reformers before Luther — Huss, 
Savonarola, Wycliffe and Peter Waldiis. On side pe- 
destals are the figures of Melancthon, Philip of Hesse, 
Frederick the Wise and Peuchlin. The rr-oniiraent 
also contains the arms of the 24 towns of Germany 
which first accepted the Reformation doctrines. 

On the monument are the following appropriate in- 
scriptions : 

Right side — ''Die Christum recht verstehen, die 
wird keine Menscliensatzong gefangen nelimen konnen. 



140 EAMELSS IN EUROPE. 

Sie sind frei, nicht nach dem Fleische, sondern Dach 
dem Gewissen." (Those who understand Christ aright 
will not be captivated by human traditions. They are 
free, not according to the flesh, but according to con- 
science.) 

Left side — "Der Glaube ist nichts Anderes denn 
das rechte, wahrhaftige Leben in Gott selbst. Die 
Schrift recht zu verstehen, dazu gehort der Geist 
Christi." ( Faith is nothing else than the real life in God 
Himself. Hence to understand the Scriptures aright 
the Spirit of Christ is necessary.) 

Rear side^ — ^'Das Evangel ium, welches der Herr 
den Aposteln in den Mund gelegt hat, istSein Schwert, 
darait schlagt Er in die Welt als mit Blitz und Donner " 
(The gospel which God put into the mouths of the 
Apostles is His sword, with which He smites the world 
as with lightning and thunder.) 

As in many cities of Europe, one of the principal 
objects in Worms is its cathedral, which was founded in 
the eighth, rebuilt in the twelfth, and fiually fully re- 
stored in the latter part of the nineteenth century. It 
is dedicated to St, Peter and St. Paul. The church has 
four towers and two domes, and is one of the oldest of 
its kind in Germany. Everything connected with it 
indicates the large building's great age. One of the 
domes has been rebuilt. It had to be taken down on 
account of the defective foundation and was re-erected 
with the old material. The old stones were placed 
in position as before, so that this part looks as old as 
the others. This work required sixteen years' time. 
The choir and towers are now under reconstruction. In 
the crypt are several Roman tombs which are said to 



WOEMS. 141 

belong to the first century . They were formerly a good 
deal below the bottom of the basement, and were dis- 
covered only four years ago, according to the statement 
of the man in charge. The congregation of the cathe- 
dral numbers 6,000 members. Two other Roman 
churches number 5,000 members each, including chil- 
dren. The space in front of the cathedral is said to 
have been the scene of the quarrel between Brunhilde 
and Chriemhilde, recorded in the Niebelungenlied. 

The old Paulus church, which was erected in 1102- 
06, is now used as a museum. It contains a large num- 
ber of antiquities, including Roman altars, tombstones, 
piles from Roman bridges, etc. There are many relics 
of Worms and the neighborhood, including many 
from the time of Lather. In the tower of the old 
church is the Luther Library, containing rare early 
editions of the works of the Reformer and his contem- 
poraries ; three of his letters ; the 95 theses which he 
nailed to the church door at Wittenberg on October 
31, 1517; one of his New Testaments, of which only 
twelve copies were printed. There are numerous copies 
of pamphlets issued in favor and against the Reforma- 
tion. There are also some pictures which ridicule 
Luther. One represents him as being insane, another 
as a hog, and a third as a fool. These of course came 
from the enemies of the Reformation. 

As we entered this old Paulus church our party 
naturally removed their hats, but the custodian said : 
*' Die Herren brauchen ihre Hlite nicht abnehmen.^* 
(The gentlemen need not remove their hats.) Why 
not? Because the building, once dedicated to the 
worship of God, is now used for a secular purpose. 
We had a different experience in the Tower of Lon- 



142 KAMBLES IX EUHOPE. 

doD as we entered the ancient St. John's chapel. (See 
page 60.) 

About one-half mile from the Mayence gate of 
Worms stands the Church of Our Lady, which was the 
only building that remained in that suburb when it was 
destroyed by the French and Swedes. It is cruciform 
in shape. 

Strassbujrg, located on the river 111, two miles 
from the river Rhine, with which it is connected by 
canals, is the capital of Alsace and Lorraine. It was 
founded by the Romans, and is therefore a very old city. 
The Romans are known to have established a settle- 
ment here in the year 9 of the Christian era. Julian, the 
Roman emperor, here gained a great victory over the 
Alemanni in 357. During the Middle Ages Strassburg 
was one of the most prosperous and powerful free cities 
in Germany. In the emperor's processions its banner 
was borne next to the imperial eagle. The citizens were 
always great lovers of liberty and long resisted all 
efforts to capture the city until it finally fell a prey to 
French greed. After Louis XIV. had conquiered the 
rest of Alsace during the Thirty Years' War, he seized 
Strassburg on Sept. 30, 1681, and united it with France. 
It remained thus connected for almost two hundred 
years, until 1870, when the city was conquered by the 
German army and again united with Germany. The 
Germans besieged the city from August 13 to Septem- 
ber 28, 1870, when it surrendered. The city suffered 
much during the bombardment in 1870, but now no 
trace of the damage is left, and it is now much more 
strongly fortified than ever. The population is about 
170,000. 



STRASSEURG. 143 

As we approached the city the tall spire of the 
cathedral came into view, rising like a gigantic needle 
out of the plain which surrounds the city. The coun- 
try for miles is quite level and fertile. As we passed 
along we saw several crucifixes in the fields, similar to 
the ones mentioned on a previous page. We saw also 
numerous ox teams in the fields. All trains enter at the 
same place. There are numerous old buildings in 
Strassburg, many of which have very steep roofs, with 
their gables fronting toward the street. In many chim- 
neys there are storks' nests. Though on the lookout 
for the birds we saw none. We took dinner in the 
famous ^' Old House,'' located close to the cathedral. 
The house bears the date 1589 and this inscription : 
" Dies Haus schuf man zu einer Zeit als Kaust dem 
Handwerk geweiht M^ar.^' There are four stories to the 
square, three of which project beyond the first, and 
three above the square, of course with three rows of 
dormer windows. The house presents a very odd ap- 
pearance. 

The central object of interest iu this city is its large 
and famous cathedral, with its wonderful astronomical 
clock. This is a Catholic church which dates its his- 
tory back to the twelfth century. As usual, it is in the 
form of a cross. It was considerably injured during 
the bombardment of 1870, but the damage has been 
repaired. 

The cathedral (or Munster, as it is often called) 
towers above all other buildings and presents an im- 
posing appearance. It is a very large building — 354 
feet in length — and covers an area equal to about a 
square of ground in an American city. The nave is 



144 



RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 



several hundred feet long and 99 feet high. Nearly 
all such buildings are constructed after the same gen- 
eral plan. First comes the nave, the main part of the 
church ; at the other end is the " choir/' where the 
priests perform their functions ; and the transepts are at 
the ends of the cross bar. The Strassburg cathedral has 
two towers, but only one is surmounted by a spire, one 

of the tallest in Eu- 
rope — 465 feet high. 
By ascending the 200 
steps to a platform one 
is afforded a fine view 
of the city and the sur- 
rounding country, in- 
cluding the immense 
fortifications. 

In this cathedral 
stands the famous as- 
tronomical clock — a 
wonderful piece of 
mechanism. It was 
constructed in 1838- 
42 by a clockmaker 
of Strassburg and re- 
CATHEDRAL AT STRASSBUKG. placed a similar clock 

made in 1574, and used until 1789, which in time had 
formed a substitute for a still older clock made in 1352- 
54. Thus the present clock is the third one of the kind 
in this place. It attracts large crowds of spectators, 
especially at the noon hour, when an interesting me- 
chanical performance takes place. At the time of our 
visit the number of expectant spectators was probably 




STRASSBURG. 145 

three hundred, all of whom had paid an admission fee. 
On the first gallery of the clock an angel strikes the 
quarter-hours on a bell in his hand, whilst a genius at 
his side reverses the sand-glass every hour. Higher 
up, around a skeleton which strikes the hour, are 
grouped figures representing boyhood, youth, manhood 
and old age — the four quarters of the hour. In the 
upper gallery at noon the twelve Apostles move around 
the Savior, who lifts his hands to bless them. On a 
pinnacle is perched a cock, which flaps its wings, 
stretches its neck and crows, creating echoes in every 
part of the church. The most wonderful part is that 
the clock regulates itself, and adapts its motions to the 
revolutions of the seasons for an almost unlimited num- 
ber of years. 

This Catholic cathedral was at one time a Reformed 
church, in which Matthew Bell and Martin Bucer 
preached. The famous John Calvin was also at one 
time pastor at Strassburg. After be had been driven 
out of Geneva he came to Strassburg in 1588 and 
preached to some 1,500 French Reformed refugees in 
St. Nicholas church. Under Calvin's influence this 
congregation became a model church for piety and ac- 
tivity, , Calvin found his wife in Strassburg in the per- 
son of Idelette de Bure, the widow of a converted Ana- 
baptist. Ulrich Zwingli also preached at one time in 
Strassburg. Whilst on his way to the celebrated dispu- 
tation with Luther at Marburg he stopped at Strass- 
burg, remained there twelve days and preached with 
great acceptance to large congregations. He was ac- 
companied by Ecolampadius. Thus two of the great 
Reformers of Switzerland preached in this city. 



146 RAMBLES IX EUROPE. 

During some sixty years the Reformed were the 
dominant party in Strassburg, but they were driven out 
and for abont a hundred years the Lutherans occupied 
the cathedral until the city was taken by Louis XIV. 
of France, when it once more became Catholic and is 
such now. For about two hundred years the Reformed 
people of .-ilsace and Lorraine were under the authority 
of France. That under these adverse circumstances 
they remained faithful to their Church is an evidence of 
their love for Reformed doctrines. There are now some 
50,000 Reformed^people in these two provinces, the con- 
gregation in Strassburg numbering about a thousand 
members. 

The University of Strassburg deserves mention. It 
was founded in 1567. M^ny famous men are among 
its graduates, including Goethe and Stilling. Its old 
library of 200,000 vokimes was entirely destroyed dur- 
ing the siege of 1870, but a new one with 500,000 vol- 
umes has been established. The university faculty 
includes a Reformed professor of theology. 

In an open space of the city stands the large statue 
of Gutenberg, the famous inventor of printing, who 
made his first experiments in Strassburg about the year 
1436.— St. Thomas' is a large Gothic Protestant church, 
erected 1273-90 on the site of an earlier house of God. 
The church contains a beautiful monument to Marshall 
Saxe, a noted military man of the eighteenth century. 

One of the most interesting sights in Strassburg 
was furnished by four laundry-boats on the river. Some 
25 women to each boat were engaged in washing clothes. 
They performed their work while kneeling in boxes 
filled with straw. The women soaped the wash, then 



SPEYER. 147 

scrubbed it with brushes and finally rinsed it in the 
river. These laundries presented a peculiar sight, the 
like of which we had never seen. In the streets we 
saw numerous milk carts drawn by dogs and guided by 
women. 

Speyer, the capital of the Bavarian Palatinate, is 
located near the left bank of the Rhine, and has a pop- 
ulation of about 20,000. It was here that the op- 
ponents of Romanism were first called Protestants. 
They were so called because they protested against the 
action of the hostile majority in the imperial diet of 
1529. In 1689 the city was destroyed by the French, 
and on this account it contains few very old buildings. 
The cathedral is the principal place of attraction. It 
was founded in 1030 by Conrad II. as a burial place 
for himself and his successors. In this building were 
interred the remains of many royal persons. The 
French in May, 1689, ransacked the cathedral, exhum- 
ing and scattering the bones of eight emperors who lay 
buried in the crypt. Subsequently their bones were 
collected and restored to their former places, as far as 
this was possible. The church was once more devas- 
tated by the French in 1794 and by them convertedinto 
a magazine. In 1822 it was restored for the pui-pose 

of worship. 

The cathedral is a plain, but large and imposing 
structure, 441 feet long and 180 feet wide, and the 
towers are 240 feet high. The interior is adorned with 
32 paintings, which are among the finest of German 
art. In the vestibule stand the statues of the eight 
emperors who were buried here. There is in the centre 
of the dome a large painting of Jesus Christ, the Lamb 



148 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

slain for the world, and around him in the transepts 
are "a cloud of witnesses" — apostles, martyrs and 
confessors. These paintings are modern and beautiful. 

OppositCgthe church is the cathedral bowl, a large 
vessel of sandstone. Every new bishop after obligating 
himself to respect the liberties of the town, was required 
to fill the bowl with wine, which the people then drank 
to his health. 

In the middle of the twelfth century St. Bernard 
visited Speyer in order to promote a Crusade, and 
preached with great fervor in the cathedral. On one 
occasion his eloquence had such an effect on the king 
that he interrupted the preacher in the midst of his ser- 
mon and requested him to hand him the cross from the 
altar, and from that moment the ruling powers of Ger- 
many took an active part in the Crusades. 

The Protestant church erected in 1893-1903 is a 
a fine cruciform building. It was built to commemo- 
rate the Diet of 1529, after which the friends of the 
Reformation were first called Protestants. 

In the Museum there is a good collection of pre- 
historic and ancient relics, including many from the 
Roman period. 




CHAPTER X.— CITY OF HEIDELBERG* 

Its Great Castle.— Holy Ghost Chupeh.— Museum.— Uni- 
versity . — Heiligenber g. 

E approached the city of HEiDELBEna 
with a high degree of pleasure. It is 
most beautifuriy situated od the river 
Neckar which flows into the Rhine at 
Mannheim, some twenty miles below. 
Heidelberg was the cradle of the Re- 
formed Church in Germany. It was 
for a long time the centre of Reformed 
influence. Here lived and ruled the 
Electors of the Palatinate, including the pious Elector 
Frederick III., at whose request Zacharias Ursinus 
and Casper Olevianus, two leading professors of the 
university, compiled the celebrated Heidelberg Cate- 
chism. 

The city is situated in a narrow valley. There are 
hisrh mountains on the north and south. Between the 
city and the mountain on the north flows the river 
ISTeckar. On the south is the mountain Konigstuhl, 
which is 1,863 feet high. 

The population of Heidelberg is about 50,000. Few 
towns can vie with it in the beauty of its environs and 
in historic interest. Conrad of Hohenstaufen, who 
became Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1155, selected 
Heidelberg as his principal residence, and under him 
and his successors the then insignificant place soon be- 
came a town of much importance It continued to be 
the capital of the Palatinate for over five hundred years 
until 1721, when Elector Charles Philip, on account of 



150 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

differences with the Protestant citizens, transferred his 
seat to Mannheim. Since 1802 the city belongs to the 
grand -duchy of Baden. 

Heidelberg suffered severely during the Thirty 
Years' War. In 1622 the cruel Austrian General Tilly 
captured the city and the soldiers plundered the citi- 
zens, whose sufferings were extreme. The celebrated 
Palatinate Library was carried away to Rome. A part 
of it has since been returned. In 1689 Heidelberg 
again suffered severely, this time at the hands of the 
French. They captured the city, blew up the large 
and beautiful castle, and burned a large part of the city. 
In 1693 the French once more took possession of Heid- 
elberg and again destroyed a large part of it. 

First of all we visited the ruins of the large, famous 
and once beautiful castle at the eastern end of the city, 
long the home of the rulers of the Palatinate, This is 
said to be the most beautiful ruin in Germany. It is 
seldom that ruins are beautiful, but such is the case 
here. The castle was very large and before its destruc- 
tion by cruel hands must have been a magnificent palace. 
It was both a fortress and a palace. As the ruins are 
located 330 feet above the town, the ascent of the long 
hill was no small task. From the castle an enchanting 
view is afforded over the city, the Neckar river and the 
country to the west as far as Mannheim and the Rhine. 
The country westward is level and very fertile. Here 
many of the ancestors of our eastern Pennsylvanians 
lived and suffered religious persecution. Their crops 
were repeatedly destroyed, and frequently also their 
homes. Finally, when their cup of suffering was full, 
they accepted the kind invitation of Queen Anne, of 



HEIDELBEEO. 151 

England, and went to London, where their sufferings, 
on account of the refugees' large numbers, continued. 
Finally many of them were sent to New York state, 
whence some wended their way under the two Conrad 
Weisers to the Tulpehocken region in Pennsylvania. 
Others came more directly by way of Philadelphia at 
the invitation of William Penn. What must have been 
the feelings of these people, as they for the last time set 
their eyes upon the country in which they and their an- 
cestors ^during many generations had been born and 
brought up ? With heavy hearts they must have turned 
their backs upon their native laud to seek homes in the 
new western world which was then mostly a wilder- 
ness. 

The erection of the castle was commenced at the 
close of the thirteenth century ; it was enlarged in 1410, 
1559 and 1607. As stated, it was partly destroyed by 
the French in 1689 and 1693, and in 1764 lightning 
completed the work of destruction. The many beauti- 
fully carved stones lying around indicate the fine charac- 
ter of the building. At one place there is a very large 
piece of masonry from the round tower, which shows 
the solid character of the work. The tower is 79 feet 
in diameter, and the walls 21 feet thick. When the 
French blew up the tower in 1693, one-half became de- 
tached and fell in an unbroken mass into the moat, where 
it still remains as it then fell. 

We inspected the extensive ruins of the castle closely. 
A portion of the ruined palace has been restored by the 
state. A guide led us through this part. There are 
a number of fine paintings in the rooms and in the 
chapel. 



152 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

The government of Baden is anxious to restore the 
front of the Otto Heinrich building at an estimated 
cost of $60,000, but the Diet of Baden in the summer 
of 1910 declined to give its assent. 

Among other rooms we were shown one in which, 
according to the guide, the Heidelberg Catechism was 
composed. This is not likely. The compilers may 
have submitted their work to Frederick III. in that 
room. Under the restored part is the so-called Heidel- 
berg Tun— an immense cask capable of holding 49,000 
gallons of wine. It was erected in 1751. It is said 
to have been full three times. Why such a monster 
cask ? In those days many of the people contributed 
one-tenth of the wine produced by them to the Elector, 
and it was gathered in this cask, which is the largest in 
the world. There is also a smaller Tun in the same 
cellar, erected in 1610, and holding 10,000 gallons. 
This has not been used since 1803. Aside of the large 
Tun stands a grotesque figure of Perkes, the court-jester 
of Elector Charles Philip. In the same place there is 
a barrel of most peculiar construction. It is without a 
single hoop of any kind. How can this be ? The bar- 
rel is constructed of staves, which are dove-tailed into 
each other. But how this could be done with staves 
which are bent and narrower at the ends than in the 
centre is a mystery to me. And yet such is the case. 

In the rained part of the castle is a very large 
kitchen, in which oxen were roasted in former times. 
There is also an immense oven in which the bread for 
the large family was baked. The outside walls of the 
several wiags of the castle are still standing. In the 
niches of these walls are several statues, including 



HEIDELBERG. 153 

Joshua, Samson, David and Hercules. Below that of 
David are these lines : 

" David war ein Jiingling, 
Geherzt und Klug, 
Dem frechen Goliath 
Den Kopf abschlug." 

Then there are allegorical figures of Strength, Justice, 
Faith, Hope and Charity. In the upper niches are the 
seven gods of the planets — Saturn, Mars, Venus, Mer- 
cury, Diana, Apollo and Jupiter. 

Connected with the castle before its destruction were 
beautiful gardens. There were magnificent arbors, ter- 
races, fountains, etc. It is said that King Louis XIV., 
of France, was jealous for fear that the beauty of Heid- 
elberg Castle should outrival the surroundings of his 
palace at Versailles. 

After lingering a long while at the castle we as- 
cended the mountain on the south called '^ Konig- 
stuhy to the place known as " Molkenkur,'' formerly 
a dairy, now a restaurant. Here the view was greatly 
enlarged. We took supper here in the open air and en- 
joyed the glorious view until late in the evening. From 
here the view westward over the former Palatinate is 
extensive and most beautiful. The Neckar, after pass- 
ing Heidelberg, winds its way through a fertile country 
until it reaches Mannheim, where it unites with the his- 
toric Rhine. We could also see the latter stream for a 
considerable distance. 

One of the most interesting places in Heidelberg is 
the Holy Ghost church near the centre of the city. 
This church was erected in the fifteenth century as a 
11 



154 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Catholic place of worship. During the Reformation 
both the Catholics and the Reformed claimed the church, 
and the matter was compromised by the erection of a 
partition wall crosswise through the centre of it. Since 
then both parties have been worshiping in this church — 
the Reformed in the western and the Catholics in the 
eastern part. There is no quarreling between the parties. 
In 1886 the wall was removed to provide a suitable 
place in which to celebrate the 500th anniversary of 
Heidelberg University. After that the two religious 
bodies held their services at different hours, but in 1892 
the Catholics demanded the restoration of the partition 
wall, and it was re-erected. The church is very long, 
and both parties have sufficient room. 

We worshipped with the Reformed people in the 
Holy Ghost church on Sunday morning, June 26. The 
church was well filled and the people appeared to be de- 
vout. The singing was vigorous. The hymns were not 
announced. The people stood during the reading of 
the Scripture lesson, according to a good old custom, 
which is intended to show reverence for the Word of 
God. Text: Luke 5 : 1-11. The theme was— Obey- 
ing God's Word and Following Him. The sermon by 
Pastor Goetz was good, but unfortunately we could not 
understand all on account of the peculiar brogue of the 
speaker and the great echo in the church. The build- 
ing was erected for Catholic worship, in which cere- 
mony is emphasized. It is poorly adapted for preach- 
ing. The pastor closed the last prayer with the 
Lord's Prayer, at the commencing of which the bell of 
the church was rung. This custom, as I understand it, 
is tolgive notice to the people at home, so that they may 



HEIDELBERG. 155 

inaudibly unite in the prayer. Here, as in many other 
places, the women were largely in the majority. Like 
in America, some of them wore hats so large as to ob- 
struct one's view of the preacher. After the close of the 
service a considerable number of children gathered in 
front seats for catechetical instruction, a custom which 
has prevailed during many generations. 

The Holy Ghost church was used as a Catholic 
house of worship until near the close of the year 1545, 
when Protestantism broke out here. This came sud- 
denly. The community had become impregnated with 
the Reformation principles, and on Sunday before 
Christmas, 1545, as the priest was about celebrating 
mass, the people began to sing a popular Reformation 
hymn of Paul Speratus, the first line of which is as fol- 
lows : " Es ist das Heil uns kommen her."' The priest 
fled from the church, and this was the beginning of 
Protestant worship in the Holy Ghost church. 

With the introduction of Protestantism came many 
troubles for the people. The form of their religion was 
frequently changed, because the Elector controlled this 
matter. Sometimes the elector was Reformed, some- 
times Lutheran, and at times Catholic, and as was the 
Elector, so the people were expected to be in religion. 
Occasionally the Reformed people had their churches 
closed against them, and they were forbidden to hold 
services in the town, so they went out to Neustadt to 
worship. With the accession of another Elector their 
churches were restored to them. The Reformed flour- 
ished mostly during the reign of Frederick III., who 
was a just and very pious ruler. It was at his request, 
as stated above, that the well-known Heidelberg Cate- 
chism was compiled. 



156 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Ooe cause of the sufferings of the Reformed people 
came from the fict that their catechism, in the answer 
tothe eightieth question, called the Popish Mass an ac- 
cursed idolatry. In some editions of the catechism this 
question and answer were omitted. 

As stated, the church was erected for Catholic wor- 
ship, and is somewhat illy adapted for Protestant pur- 
poses. However, there are no transepts. The ceiling 
is quite high, which is the eause of the echo, and there 
are a number of thick stone pillars to support the 
heavy stone roof. These pillars take up much room 
and hind; r many persons from seeing the minister in 
the pulpit, which is built against a pillar some dis- 
tance from the altar. The pastor wore a gown and 
surplice. 

There is a peculiar arrangement connected with this 
church. Oatside along the north and south sides of the 
building there are numerous stalls against the church, 
in which business is carried on — the sale of pictures, 
new and second-hand clothing, fish, fruit, flowers, um- 
brellas, clocks, etc. Singularly as soon as the church 
service was over these little stores were opened and 
business commenced. How strange ! We could not 
help thinking of how Jesus drove the money changers 
out of the temple. In Heidelberg all kinds of stores 
are open on Sunday from eleven in the morning until 
four in the afternoon. 

After the Reformed service we looked into the Cath- 
olic part and were shown around by the sexton. These 
people are Old Catholics, and differ a good deal 
from the regular Catholics. They conduct the whole 
service, including the Mass, in the German language, 



HEIDELBEEG. 157 

instead of the Latin, and reject both the Pope and the 
doctrine of his infallibility. Neither do they use the 
confessional. They secured the church in 1873, and 
have since been in possession. King Rupert is buried 
under the altar, as is also his wife, Elizabeth, who was 
a sister of the first Elector of Brandenburg. 

At the entrance of the Reformed part of the church 
is this inscription : " In dieser Kirche stand die be- 
riihmte Pfalzische Universitats und Landes Bibliothek 
bis zu ihrer Wegfiihrung nach Rom durch Tilly im 
Februar, 1623.^^ (See page 150.) 

The Holy Ghost church has an interesting history. 
It was erected in the beginning of the fifteenth century. 
In 1693 the cruel French soldiers drove the people of 
Heidelberg into this church, locked the doors and set 
fire to the steeple. The shrieking of the people may be 
imagined, but this did not move the hard-hearted sol- 
diers. The steeple fell upon the neighboring houses 
and the bell began to melt. Then the people were let 
out of the church. In the crush a number were killed 
and many injured. Aside from the destruction of the 
steeple the church was not greatly injured, because it is 
constructed of stone, roof as well as walls. The church 
stands in the large open market square. 

Opposite the church is the "Hotel zum Ritter/' 
House of the Knights, erected in 1592 in the style of 
the Otto Heinrich's Bau of the castle. This was almost 
the only house in Heidelberg that escaped destruction 
in 1693. 

Another interesting building in Heidelberg is St. 
Peter's Protestant church, a fine large building, erected 
near the close of the fifteenth century, and restored in 



158 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

1865-70. It is surmounted by a fine open Gothic 
tower and contains several monuments. It was upon 
the door of this church that Jerome of Prague, the well- 
known co-laborer of the Reformer Huss, nailed his 
theses already in 1406. St. Peter's was the court 
church — that is, the one in which the Elector and his 
family worshipped. 

Near by are the buildings of the famous Heidel- 
berg University, known as the cradle of science in 
southern Germany. It was founded in 1386 by Elec- 
tor Rupert I., and is, next to Prague and Vienna, 
the oldest university. Its time of greatest prosperity 
was in the latter half of the sixteenth century and the 
beginning of the seventeenth century. In this period 
it was, during the reigns of the Electors Otto Henry, 
Frederick III. and Frederick lY., the principal Re- 
formed seat of learning in Germany, and exerted an 
extended influence. It was a great power for the truth 
in Reformation days. During the stormy times of the 
Thirty Years* War and the devastations of the Palati- 
nate by the French, the library survived with difficulty. 
In 1886 the five-hundredth anniversary of the univer- 
sity was celebrated in the Holy Ghost church, for which 
purpose the partition had been removed. The univer- 
sity library contains 400,000 volumes, 4,000 manu- 
scripts, 3,000 papyri and 3,200 ancient documents. 
About one-third of the manuscripts of the famous Pala- 
tine Library, which was carried to Rome by Gen. TiUy 
in 1623, have been returned at various dates. 

Heidelberg contains a Museum, which is compara- 
tively large and quite interesting. To us one of the most 
interesting objects found here is a copy of the first editioa 



HEIDELBERG. 169 

of the Heidelberg Catechism of 1563. The famous 
eightieth question and answer about the Roman Mass 
are not contained in this edition. There are editions of 
the catechism in various languages. Here are also 
Luther's wedding ring with the inscription " 13 June, 
1525," and a number of letters written by Philip Me- 
lancthon, Luther's fellow -laborer in the Reformation. 
The collection includes a model of the castle, portraits 
of the Electors, professors of the university and other 
prominent men, seals, weapons, etc. 

The streets of the city of Heidelberg are mostly quite 
narrow. The principal one is the Hauptstrasse, 1 J miles 
long and running east and west, with a trolley line. 
Even this street is narrow. The way from the station 
to the castle leads along the " Anlage,'' a park on the 
south side of the street. At different points are found 
busts of Prince Bismarck and the local poet, K. G. 
Nadler, and a statue of the Bavarian Field Marshal 
Wrede. 

We spent nearly half a day on the mountain to the 
north of Heidelberg, which is also an interesting region. 
At first we followed the Philosophers' Way, so called 
because the professors of Heidelberg University love 
to stroll along this road, which affords a fine view 
of the city. But we extended our ramblings far above 
this road. First we visited the round Bismarck Tower, 
some distance up the mountain. Ascending 73 steps 
afforded us a fine view of the city and surrounding 
country. Still higher up we came ^o the View Tower, 
which was erected from the material of an old cloister. 
Here we ascended 87 steps and were rewarded with a 
further beautiful outlook. 



160 RAMBLES IN EUEOPE. 

But we were not yet done climbing the mountain, 
w^hich is known as the " Heiligen Berg.'' It is said that 
in early times the ancestors of the Germans offered sac- 
rifices on this mountain. The place ^ as subsequently 
dedicated to Mercury. After a long and tiresome walk 
we came to a most interesting historic spot — the ruins 
of St. MichaeFs Cloister. This institution^ history in- 
forms us, was founded about the year 880, and rebuilt 
in the eleventh century. Now all is in ruins. But the 
ruins indicate a large and substantial building. When 
the place went out of existence I cannot state, but his- 
tory tells us that the ruins were for centuries unknown 
until accidentally discovered in 1886. From this place 
we had one more truly enchanting view of the country 
north, west and south. The land is level and beautiful 
in the extreme. 

On our way from the mountain we followed the so- 
called Hirschgasse and finally came to the hotel in a 
narrow valley immediately above the city, which is fa- 
mous on account of the many duels fought there by stu- 
dents of Heidelberg University. Dueling is an old and 
brutal custom which is here continued to this day. To 
have a scar on the face is considered a great honor. We 
met many students in the streets bearing such scars. 
Duels occur almost every week. One such was fought 
the day before our visit. We were shown through the 
building. On the second floor is a comparatively new 
hall in which the combats are held. The fighting is 
with swords. On the floor were several fresh spots of 
blood which had been shed the day before. The eyes 
and necks of the duelists are protected, so that death 
seldom follows. Surgeons are always at hand to sew 



HEIDELBERG. 161 

up the wounds. In a room in the older part of the 
building the floor is covered with marks of blood from 
dueling. On a large table in this room many visitors 
have carved their names, among them three chancellors 
of the German empire who were students here — Bis- 
marck, von Billow and Hohenlohe. It is stated that 
duels on the part of students have been fought here 
since 1670. It is astonishing that such a barbarous 
practice should be tolerated by the authorities of the 
university in this enlightened age. 

Our visit to Heidelberg was a great pleasure to us. 
From here we resumed our journey and passed on to 
romantic Switzerland. 




CHAPTER XI,— SWITZERLAND. 

The Little Mountain Republic— The Alps.— Convent of 

St. Bernard.— Stopy of William Tell.— The Rigi. 

The Jungrfrau— The Matterhorn.-Pilatus. 

WITZERLAND is the little mountain 
republic in the heart of Europe, situated 
between France, Germany, Austria and 
Italy. No people love freedom more 
than the Swiss, and none have made 
greater sacrifices to secure it. Switzer- 
land is of special interest to the Re- 
formed people of America, because it is 
the land of Zwingli, the founder of 
their Church in that country, and because the Swiss are 
so largely Reformed. 

We visited the principal cities and several of the 
high mountains in Switzerland. Naturally we could 
not visit all places of interest. It would have been in- 
teresting to go to Wildhaus, where Zwingli was born on 
Jan. 1, 1484; to Einsiedeln, where he began to preach 
the pure gospel fully one year before Luther nailed his 
noted theses to the church door at Wittenberg, and to 
Cappel, where Zwingli died, but time did not permit. 

The history of Switzerland goes back to before the 
Christian era. History informs us that the Romans 
subdued the Lake Dwellers in the year 58 before Christ. 
Subsequently the Romans developed trade and con- 
structed three military roads through this country — the 
St. Gothard, the St. Bernard and that crossing the 
Julier mountain. For a long time the country belonged 
to the Roman Empire. Afterwards it was under the 
dominion of various other nations. 



164 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Switzerland has for a number of centuries been a 
republic. The people have resisted many assaults from 
without, and have had their internal dissensions, but 
their liberty has been preserved as a result of their con- 
stant watchfulness. With the Americans they believe 
that " eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." 

In 1307 three men — Werner Stauffacher, Walter 
Fiirst and Arnold Melchthal — met together in the 
meadow of Griitli at Lake Luzerne and took an oath to 
free Switzerland from Austrian oppression. They swore 
that they would be " all for each and each for all." 
This was the beginning of what is called the " Eid- 
genossenschaft," the foundation of Swiss freedom. The 
spirit of the three men spread rapidly and the people 
flocked around the standard thus set up. Eight years 
later they had the first opportunity to show their love 
of liberty. In 1315 an army of 15,000 Austrians un- 
der Duke Leopold marched through the defiles of Mor- 
garten, when they were surprised by 1,400 brave Swiss, 
who hurled large stones and trunks of trees down the 
mountain sides and completely routed the enemy. ■ 

The Swiss republic as it now exists was formed 
gradually. At first it consisted of only three cantons 
or counties. Now there are twenty- two cantons com- 
posing the federation, with a population of over 3,466,- 
000, about the same as that of Greater New York. 
Nearly 60 per cent, of the people are Protestants 
(mostly Reformed), nearly 40 per cent. Catholic, the 
small balance being divided between Jews and other con- 
fessions. The length of the country is 216 miles and 
its width 137 miles. It is the most mountainous coun- 
try in Europe. The famous Alpine mountains cover a 



SWITZERLAND. 165 

large part of the country's area. Some of these moun- 
tains are from 5,000 to 16,000 feet high, and the tops 
of the highest are always covered with snow. 

Switzerland is distinguished from the other Euro- 
pean countries by its many and high mountains. It forms 
a strong contrast to Holland and Belgium, which states 
are known as the " low countries." Holland is so low 
as to be in danger of being engulfed by the sea. The 
mountains of Switzerland attract multitudes of tourists. 
Some spend a whole summer in this little country. 
Those who can spare the time can well afford to do this, 
because living is cheaper here than almost anywhere 
else, and there is no end to interesting scenery. In 
consequence of its high altitude it is nearly always quite 
cool, and on the mountains very much so. As people 
in America go to Florida to escape the rigors of winter, 
so many thousands of people spend the summer in 
Switzerland to escape the heat. In consequence of this 
Switzerland is largely a country of hotels. There is no 
end to peaces of entertainment. Were all tourists to 
remain away from Switzerland for a few years, many 
towns would receive their death blow. 

Whilst Switzerland has very many high mountains, 
it also abounds in lakes. The largest are Lake Geneva 
and Lake Constance. There are 15 lakes which cover 
an area of over three square miles each. Besides these 
there are smaller ones. All the lakes of the country 
cover 545 square miles. This is a large proportion of 
the 15j981 square miles of the whole country. These 
lakes afford beautiful scenery, as some of them are sur- 
rounded by high mountains. During spring and sum- 
mer, when nature is at her best, the scenery is very 
grand. 



166 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

It is a wonder that so small a country can support 
so large a population. Of course there is an explana- 
tion to every question ; so here. A portion of the coun- 
try is a farming region. Even the mountains are cul- 
tivated. The mountains are largely terraced and here 
crops are raised. Grape culture is the principal indus- 
try in many regions. The mountain sides are covered 
with vineyards. Grape vines will grow where nothing 
else may be cultivated. The vineyards present a beau- 
tiful appearance. For miles and miles along the rail- 
roads the hills which would otherwise be barren are 
covered with grape vines like a blanket of green. Many 
people live largely from goats. These animals can climb 
where no others can go, and they feed on wild pasture. 
Their owners carry the butter from the cows and the 
cheese from the goats down into the villages, and in this 
way earn their living. It is remarkable from how small 
a patch of ground people can secure their support. 
Of course these country people live very plainly, by no 
means like the farmers in America, but they are satis- 
fied and contentment is great gain. 

The Swiss are industrious, honest, patriotic arid re- 
ligious. The Reformation period is a sad chapter in 
their history. During this struggle the people were 
divided between Reformed and Catholic parties. Some 
of the counties, notably the forest counties, were almost 
solidly Catholic, whilst the other portions were solidly 
Reformed. These two parties engaged in war with 
each other. There were practically no Lutherans in 
Switzerland. Many lives were lost during this religious 
war. Fortunately those days are past, and such scenes 
may perhaps never occur again. 



SWITZERLAND. 167 

About 71 per cent, of the people speak the Swiss 
language. There is much French spoken in the coun- 
try ; in some sections this language is used almost ex- 
clusively, especially in Geneva. 

There are two features in the Swiss government 
which make it really a government " of the people, by 
the people and for the people.'* This is also our motto 
in the United States, but it has largely become a dead 
Y letter. Our country is governed largely by the mil- 
lionaires, political bosses and trusts. In Switzerland 
they have the so-called " Initiative " and " Referendum." 
Under the first institution the people have the right to 
propose the enactment of new laws and the repealing 
of old laws. If 50,000 citizens petition the National 
Congress, that body must consider what these petitioners 
request. Under the referendum any or all new laws 
may be referred to the people for approval or rejection. 
This must be done whenever 30,000 citizens demand 
it. In the cantons or counties it must be done upon the 
petition of 5,000 citizens. This places the making of 
laws to a large extent directly into the hands of the 
people. The plan was introduced in 1874 and has so 
far been satisfactory. The Swiss have the most thor- 
ough republican form of government in the world. " 

Switzerland lies east of France and north of Italy. 
The most direct roads between France and Italy lead 
across the great mountains. This makes communica- 
tion by land diffieult and tedious. These roads across 
the mountains are called passes. One of these is St. 
Bernard Pass. Long before the birth of Christ the 
Romans crossed the mountains through this Pass. 
The top of the mountain at this point is some 6,000 



168 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

feet above sea level. The top is always covered with 
snow and ice. In the year 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte 
led an army of 30,000 Frenchmen across the St. Ber- 
nard Pass into Italy, which was supposed impossible. 
In this way he surprised and defeated the Austrians in 
Italy and gained a great victory. Italy was now under 
Napoleon's domination. What the march of an army 
across the Alpine mountains means cannot be fully ap- 
preciated. It was a most daring undertaking. What 
a wearisome task it must have been to drag cannons and 
army wagons up the steep mountain. By this bold 
military dash Napoleon surprised the whole world. In 
entering Switzerland from France Napoleon's army 
had to pass the Jura mountains. The gap in these 
mountains through which the army passed was pointed 
out to us in the train as we rode through the country. 

At the top of tiie mountain of the St. Bernard Pass 
is a convent for th? benefit of travelers. The place is 
kept by a number of monks who entertain travelers and 
look after their safety and comfort. It sometimes hap- 
pens that travelers are overtaken by severe snow ^torms 
and unable to proceed, and many such a wayfarer has 
been rescued and his life saved by these monks, aided 
by their celebrated St. Bernard dogs, which are trained 
for this work. These dogs act as scouts along the road. 
When they find a snow-bound traveler they return and 
give the alarm, when rescuing parties are sent out. 
These dogs are wonderful animals. Their instinct is 
not far from what we call mind. Sometimes these dogs 
carry baskets with provisions which are tied to their 
necks. 

The work of aiding and rescuing travelers has been 
greatly facilitated in recent years through the intro- 



11* i*^^^^^^^^ Jilt 

mil III iMi Ml I I I 1 n, itiiiiP'i 

111 'III I nil jl 




SWITZERLAND. 169 

duction of the telephone. There are numerous small 
booths along the road up the mountain, fitted up with 
the telephone. When a traveler is in danger from 
snow or cold he can enter a booth and call up the con- 
vent for help, when a dog will at once be sent to his 
assis ance. This dog will bring him bread, wine and 
oth< comforts. The stations are numbered, and the 
dog s told the number of the station from which the 
call came, and off he starts on his errand of mercy. 
This system saves the dogs their old duty of patrolling 
the pass on the chance of a stray traveler beino- found 
and as the pass is for about eight months of the year 
under snow, the former arrangement entailed hard and 
often fruitless labor. 

This convent was founded by St. Bernard of Men- 
thon in 962. He made it the duty of the dozen or more 
St. Augustine monks and their servants gratuitously to 
accommodate and nurse travelers. There are no charges 
for benefits received, although contributions are ac- 
cepted. The place is supported at much expense by 
contributions from France, Italy and Switzerland. All 
the provisions must be brought up from the valleys far 
below. The mountain-top is bare of vegetation. Fire- 
wood must be carried up the mountain a distance of 
some ten miles. It is purely a labor of love. These 
monks lead a very solitary life. They are isolated from 
the great world below, but they are consecrated to their 
calling and are doing the work of Good Samaritans. 

One of the interesting stories in Swiss history is that 
of William Tell. Hermann Gessler, an official of Aus- 
tria, oppressed the Swiss in 1307. One of his acts was 
to place the ducal hat of Austria on a pole in Altorf 
12 



170 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

and order that all passing must salute the hat. Wil- 
liam Tell and his young son refused to do this, and they 
were sentenced to death unless Tell, who was a famous 
sharpshooter, would shoot an apple from the head of 
his son. Tell accomplished the feat. Gessler asked 
Tell : " What would you have done with your second 
arrow f^ TelPs reply was : " Shot you, if I had killed 
my child.'^ For this Tell was bound and thrown into 
a boat with Gessler and others to be taken to Kiiss- 
nacht, the castle of the tyrant. A terrible storm arose, 
and Tell alone could save the party. He was unchained 
and brought the boat to land, where he sprang from the 
boat and disappeared. Gessler then passed through a 
defile, when Tell, who was lying in ambush, shot the 
tyrant through the heart. An uprising of the people 
followed, which resulted in the indepenence of Switzer- 
land. 

This story of William Tell has often been denied 
and as often repeated. The Swiss firmly believe it and 
are proud of it. It has been the subject of frequent and 
heated controversies. 

Our party spent some time in Switzerland, visiting 
Basel, Zurich, Luzerne, Bern, Geneva and the fa- 
mous mountains Rigi and Jungfrau. We were sur- 
prised at the many evidences of prosperity in Switzer- 
land. The cites and towns appear to be very flourish- 
ing. One is amazed to see the many large and 
substantial modern buildings. There is no end to the 
number of modern hotels, both in city and country. 
In many places the mountain sides are covered with 
hotels. This condition is largely due to the millions of 
dollars which the tourists bring to this country every 
year. 



EIGI. 171 

We asceaded two of the great mountains of Switz- 
erland — Rigi and Jungfrau. These visits we shall 
never forget. We started from Zurich for the ascent 
of the Rigi by way of Arth and Goldau. This is on the 
eastern side. The ascent of the mountain by cogwheel 
trolley line occupied about an hour. It seemed as if we 
should never reach the top. We passed a number of 
dwellings and hotels on the way. How strange that 
people should live in such places ! How will they get 
down from and back to their homes in the icy winter? 
Cows and goats were grazing on the hillsides. We 
passed a number of travelers who ascended the moun- 
tain on foot, staff in hand. We were glad that there 
is an easier way. As the ascent progressed the 
view enlarged and became grander. The villages 
from which we started were now far below us. At 
several places where our car stopped women offered 
flowers and fruit for sale. Finally we reached the 
top of the famous Rigi mountain. We were now 
6,900 feet above Lake Lucerne. The top of the moun- 
tain is large and from it enchanting views are afforded in 
every direction. It was the grandest sight ever afforded 
my eyes. It is claimed that the view extends over four 
hundred square miles. We saw five or six of the Swiss 
lakes, and at least a score of snow-capped mountain 
peaks, including the famous Jungfrau, which we visited 
a few days later. There was no snow on the Rigi ; in- 
stead the top was covered with grass, which some cows 
and goats enjoyed. There are a number of buildings^ 
including a large hotel and a postoffice. We enjoyed a 
good dinner at the former. The grandest view is 
afforded at sunrise, when the skv is clear. Half an 



172 EAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

hour before suarise the sound of an Alpine horn arouses 
the tourists in the hotels, and all turn out to behold 
the rare scene. The grandeur of the sight is said to be 
indescribable. At first a little light arises behind the 
snow-capped Alps, which are 125 miles in length. 
Gradually the light increases, and by and by the sun 
appears in the eastern horizon in all its glory. The 
many mountain-peaks glitter, forests, lakes, hills, towns 
and villages are revealed, the whole forming a spectacle 
that is grand in the extreme. During the night all is 
dark and cold until the sun rises and floods all with 
light and warmth. Unfortunately it is seldom that a 
reaHy clear morning occurs, so that there are many dis- 
appointments. 

There are a number of persons here who sell postal 
cards and various kinds of souvenirs, including canes 
and carved articles. An elderly gentleman, a Swiss, 
informed us that he had been engaged in this business 
here during the past fifty-three years. Formerly many 
persons came here on horseback very early in the morn- 
ing to see the sunrise, and since the trolly is in opera- 
tion the number of such early visitors has reached 
thousands. 

After enjoying the scene several hours we descended 
from the mountain on the western side. The descent 
was frightfully steep, and occupied over half an hour. 
We landed at Vitznau on Lake Lucerne, where we 
boarded a steamboat, and after an interesting ride of 
about an hour landed at the city of Lucerne. The large 
blue sheet of water is also called " Vierwaldstattersee,*' 
— Lake of the Four Forest Cantons — because it is 
bounded by four cantons. The lake is hemmed in be- 



JUNGFRAU. 173 

tween high mountains, and the scenery is beautiful. 
The excursion was one of the most enjoyable of our 
whole tour. 

Until the eighteenth century the Eigi was known 
to but few travelers Only after the peace of 1815 did 
it become a resort for tourists. In 1816 a small hotel 
was erected upon its summit. Since then hundreds of 
thousands of visitors have found their way up the 
Kigi. 

A few days later we made an excursion from Bern 
to the JuDgfrau mountain. This was also a trip of sur- 
passing interest, although the scenery was somewhat 
different. On the way we soon saw clouds gathering 
on the mountains. The route was through mountain 
ranges and up-grade nearly all the way. Our first stop 
was at Interlaken, a famous summer resort beautifully 
located between the lakes Thun and Brienz. The 
name Interlaken means " Between the Lakes.^^ In the 
town there are numerous quaint old wooden houses. 
The view from here over the Thun lake is beautiful. 
After changing cars we proceeded to Lauterbrunnen, 
located in a narrow valley between high mountains. 
On the western side of the village we saw a beautiful 
waterfall. A small stream is dashed over the top of 
the mountain and in its descent is turned into spray, 
presenting a beautiful sight. A little beyond the vil- 
lage the valley seems to end. 

At Lauterbrunnen we changed from the railway 
train to a cogwheel trolly car, and the ascent now com- 
menced in good earnest. The ascent is very steep and 
winding. We passed through beautiful scenery, in- 
cluding numerous hotels and clusters of houses. For 



174 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

some distance we passed along the base of the Jung- 
frau and saw several glaciers — masses of ice and snow 
moving down the mountain- side. At Scheidegg we 
changed once more, this time from one trolly car to an- 
other. Soon after leaving the latter place we encoun- 
tered a snow storm. Presently we entered a tunnel of 
unusual character. It is a tunnel in the mountain 
Jungfrau leading upward at a very heavy grade. We 
had never heard of such a tunnel — gomg up into in- 
stead of through a mountain. It was dark, there being 
no light except that emitted from a few large lanterns 
at intervals along the road. When about half-way up, 
the car stopped for eight minutes. We saw daylight 
toward the left, and walked through a side tunnel to 
the outside of the mountain. There we found a 
heavy snow-storm raging. Instantly the tourists began 
to snowball each other, and this on the first day of July ! 
At the same time our Pennsylvania farmers were per- 
spiring in the harvest fields. It was very cold. My 
overcoat and rubber overshoes did not fully keep me 
warm. 

We soon resumed our journey, and after some time 
reached the top of the Jungfrau, or rather as far as the 
trolly- cars go. It is still some distance to the actual 
top of the peak. The mountain is 13,670 feet high ; 
more than twice the height of the Rigi. It took us forty- 
five minutes to make the ascent. We were glad to find 
a warm place -a large restaurant cut out of solid rock. 
There are several rooms. We ate a good dinner here, 
for which we paid $1.25. But we were glad to obtain 
it. Some people went out at the mountain-side to what 
is called the "Eismeer" — a hollow space filled with 



JUNGFRAU. 175 

snow. None of our party ventured out for fear of be- 
ing lost. A heavy fog prevailed, and there is really no 
view from this point. After spending some time at 
this, the highest altitude ever reached by us, we de- 
scended in the same manner as we had ascended, but 
with more comfort, because our car was heated. As we 
stood at Scheidegg and looked into a deep valley toward 
the east, we saw a beautiful rainbow on a clear day, 
reaching from one mountain to another. It was an un- 
usual sight. We reached the city of Bern at 9.20 the 
same evening, well pleased with this our second moun- 
tain climb. 

Some people undertake to ascend the Jungfrau on 
foot and without guides, which is a most hazardous un- 
dertaking. On July 21, just three weeks after our 
visit, a party of six persons, including three Germans, 
made this effort, with the result that they were over- 
taken by a snow-storm, lost their way, and came near 
perishing. They had to spend the night on the moun- 
tain, but were rescued next day. When a number of 
persons climb these Alpine mountains in company, each 
one is usually provided with shoes having long, sharp 
nails in the soles, and a long stick with a sharp metallic 
point. Then they are all tied to the same rope, so that, 
should one slip, he would be held by the others from 
being lost. 

The summit of the Jungfrau was first reached in 
1811 by two Swiss gentlemen named Meyer. 

The Matterhorn is the highest of all the Swiss 
mountains, having an altitude of 14,780 feet. (Pike's 
Peak, in the United States, is 14,134 feet high.) It is 
reached from Zermatt. There is no facility for ascend- 



176 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

ing it. At places the peak rises almost perpendicularly, 
and the ascent is not only next to impossible, but ex- 
tremely dangerous. On July 14, 1865, the peak was for 
the first time successfully scaled by Messrs. Whymper, 
Hudson, Hadow and Douglass, with three guides. In 
descending Mr. Hadow lost his footing near the top, 
and he, with Hudson, Douglass and one of the guides, 
fell about 4,000 feet into the Matterhorn Glacier — a 
river of snow and ice. Of course all perished. The 
others, Whymperand the two guides, escaped through 
the breaking of the rope by which all had been bound 
together at first. There are many such glaciers. It is 
said that in Switzerland alone more than 700 square 
miles are covered with them. During the summer large 
quantities of snow and ice are melted and turned into 
torrents of water. Sometimes masses of snow and 
earth slide down the mountain sides with fearful power. 
Whole villages have been destroyed in this way. 
Many efforts are made to reach the summit of the Mat- 
terhorn, and many lives have been sacrificed in the 
the effort. In the village cemetery at Zermatt are 
buried a considerable number of persons who lost their 
lives in attempts to climb to the top of the mountain 
peaks. 

Another well-known mountain peak is the Pilatus, 
located at the western end of Lake Lucerne, opposite the 
Rigi. The lower part is covered with woods and 
meadows, where |in summer some 4,000 head of cattle 
are pastured. The upper part consists of bare peaks, 
rising in one case to the height of 7,000 feet. One 
of these peaks is Pilatus, which affords a fine view of 
the Bernese Alps. The view is largely similar to that 



PILATUS. 177 

from the R-igi. On a clear day the view extends all the 
way to the Jona mountains in the northwest. The name 
Pilatus is said to have been derived from one of the 
several legends concerning Pontius Pilate, the Roman 
governor who condemned Jesus. The story is that the 
body of Pilate was thrown into the river Rhone, which 
caused such a severe storm that the body was carried to 
Mount Pilatus near Lucerne, and there securely sunk 
in a deep pool on the top. But even here there is no 
rest for him. The story is that on every Good Friday 
the Devil lifts Pilate out of the pool and sets him on a 
judgment-seat, where he washes his hands anew. This 
is the legend used to account for the name of this 
mountain. 

The cities of Switzerland are well worth a visit. In 
early times most cities of consequence in Europe were 
independent. Many of them formed independent re- 
publics and had their separate armies, and some even 
navies. Gradually they were absorbed into national 
organizations. There are still three free or independ- 
ent cities in Germany — Bremen, Hamburg and Lue- 
beck. 



CHAPTER XIL— SWITZERLAND (Continued). 

Basel.— Chupehes.— Monuments.— Dance of Death.— Zu- 
rich.— Zwingli's Work.- Lucerne.— The Lion. 
Glacier Mills. 




ASEL is the first city in Switzerland 
which we visited. It is the gateway to 
Switzerland from the north, and is said 
to be the wealthiest city in the republic* 
We were at once impressed with the 
solid and modern appearance of the 
city. This really applies to all the 
cities which we visited in this and 
most of the other countries. Basel is 
located on the historic river Rhine, which has its 
source in Switzerland. The river divides the city into 
two parts — Great Basel on the left, and Little Basel on 
the right bank. The two parts are connected by three 
bridges, of which the principal one is the Middle Bridge, 
a splendid granite structure erected in 1902-05 on the 
site^of an old wooden bridge of the thirteenth century. 
It is 213 feet long and in the centre of it there is a 
small chapel, something unique for a bridge. 

The population of the city is about 125,000. Basel 
occupies the site of an old Roman camp. It is first 
mentioned in 374 as Basilia. In the Middle Ages it 
was a free town, but it united with the Swiss Confeder- 
tion in 1501. 

Centuries ago Basel was much larger and of more 
importance than at present. In the fourteenth century 
the population was greatly reduced by a plague known 
as the Black Death, which raged with terrible severity 
in various parts of Europe. (In the city of London 



180 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

100,000 persons were carried away by the plague. Of 
these 50,000 were buried at one place, now known as 
Smithfield.) 

About two thirds of the people are Protestants, and 
almost all Reformed ; the balance being nearly all Cath- 
olics. There are ten Reformed and three Catholic 
churches in the city. Both the Reformed pastors and 
the Roman priests are paid by the state. The Reformed 
elect their own pastors. 

The State Church in Switzerland is the Reformed 
Church, to which about two thirds of the people belong. 
In the suDimer of 1910 the people of the canton of 
Basel (city and county) held an election oo the question 
of a partial separation of the Reformed Church from 
the State. The proposition was carried by a vote of 
7,413 to 1,036. Many church people voted for the 
separation. The union had existed since the Reforma- 
tion, about 1525. As in Germany, the Swiss Churches 
are not controlled by the central government, but by 
the federated states or cantons. In Germany there are 
three " State Churches " Protestant (Lutherian and 
Reformed or United Church), Catholics, Jews ; in 
Protestant Switzerland only the Reformed Church is 
recognized as such. But, since the influx of the Cath- 
oilic element is bf coming larger every year (in Basel, 
40,000), it seemed wrong to compel them to support by 
taxation the Reformed Church. 

The most imposing building in Basel is the old 
Miinster or Cathedral, founded in 1010, but completed 
only in 1500. In 1356 the church was greatly dam- 
aged by an earthquake and fire. It was then rebuilt 
and consecrated in 1365. The building was thoroughly 



BASEL,. 13X 

restored in 1852-56, and in 1880-90. It is constructed 
of red sandstone and is now one of the finest Eeformed 
churches in Europe. There are two towers at the front. 
One of them was' completed in 1426, and is 210 feet 
high. The other one was completed in 1500, and is 
206 feet high. One of the entrances, known as St. 
Gallus Gateway, was erected about the year 1200, and 
is adorned with sculpture. In one of the niches is 
Christ on the judgment-seat. On the roof over the 
door are statues of John the Evangelist and John the 
Baptist The interior of the church is large, but plain. 
In 1486 the pulpit was erected. There are a number 
of monuments in an outer aisle. Here lies buried the 
grf>at and learned Reformer, Erasmus of Holland. His 
tombstone bears a long inscription in Latin. The house 
in which he died in 1536 is still shown. It is located 
at 18 Baumleingasse. Before him it had been occupied 
by Johann Froben, a well-known printer, from 1460 to 
1527. Oecolampadius, another leading reformer, is 
also buried here. 

The Miinster was originally a Catholic church. In 
1431 the Great Cooucil commenced its sessions here. It 
consisted of some 500 clericals, including many noted 
digoitaries, whose purpose was a " Eeformation of the 
Church in head and members,^' but after a long debate 
nothing was accomplished, and the Council was dis- 
solved. 

Another interesting church is St. Martin's. The 
reformer Oecolampadius preached in this church, 
which was formerly also Catholic. In 1529 some 
Protestants entered the church and demolished the 
altars and images. This caused a disturbance between 



182 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the two parties. Nearly all the Catholics resided in 
Little Basel, across the river. The Reformed were vic- 
torious in the contest, and the City Council and the 
University b6came Reformed. Oecolampadius became 
the successor of the Bishop of Basel, the Catholics re- 
moved across the river, and Basel has ever since been 
Reformed. 

St. Martin's church is of interest from the fact that 
Ulric Zwingli came to it as a teacher in its school when 
he was eighteen years of age. Here occurred the crisis 
in his life. He had been brought up a Catholic. 
Thomas Wittenbach, a teacher of Greek, started Zwingli 
in the study of the Bible, and he did this so thoroughly 
that it is stated he could repeat whole books of the New 
Testament. Wittenbach implanted in young Zwingli^s 
heart the truth that not the Roman Church, but Jesus 
Christ saves people from their sins. It is claimed that 
here Zwingli got the start which led to his breaking 
away from the Church of Rome. 

The most beautiful modern house of worship is the 
Reformed St. Elizabeth church, which was ei^ected in 
1857-65 at a cost of $800,000 by Christopher Merion 
and his wife Margaret (born Burckhart). There is also 
a parsoiiage and a school house included in the magnifi- 
cent gift. The church is after the cathedral style, but 
without transepts, and is constructed of sandstone. Ten 
massive pillars support the brick ceiling and the copper- 
covered roof. There are beautiful windows with rep- 
resentations of the three Wise Men from the East, the 
Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Angel with the Shep- 
herds, the Burial of Jesus and the Women at the 
Grave. Singularly there are three pulpits in this 



BASEL. 183 

church — one of stone ; a second one of wood, which 
was introduced on account of defective acoustics, and a 
third one for catechetical purposes. In this respect 
there may not be another Reformed church like this 
one. 218 steps lead to the top of the beautiful 
steeple, 232 feet high, from which a splendid view of 
Basel and surroundings is afforded. It is the highest 
point in the city. The tower contains four bells and a 
fine clock. The seating capacity of the church is 1,400. 
There are about the same number of members in the 
congregation and an equal number of children. The 
Gothic entrance to the church is beautiful. There is a 
fine organ on the gallery. 

A second beautiful modern church is St. PauPs, 
erected in 1898-1 901, at a cost of $250,000. The church 
is not very large, but beautiful throughout. Its tower 
contains a set of chimes. It is located in the north- 
western section of the city in an open place. The con- 
gregation is old and very large, some 30,000 souls being 
connected with it, with four ministers. There are two 
churches and two chapels belonging to the flock, j^ s in 
the case of the Catholics the Reformed here include all 
the members of a family in the church statistics. The 
sexton informed us that many of the families have from 
10 to 12 children. 

Two monuments attracted our attention. The Mon- 
ument of St. Jacob was erected in 1872 in mem- 
ory of the heroism and death of 1,300 Swiss who 
opposed the French and Austrians on August 26, 1444. 
This inscription is on the monument : " Unsere 
Seelen dem Herrn ; unsere Leiber den Feinden.'' (Our 
souls to the Lord ; our bodies to our enemies.) The 



184 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

other monument is in memory of the substantial aid 
which Switzerland gave to the aged and women and 
children of Strassburg during and after the siege of 
1870. 

There are several museums and Picture Galleries 
in Basel. One of them contains a large collection of 
paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger, a noted artist 
(born in 1497 in Augsburg; died in 1543 in London), 
who lived at two different times in Basel. The collec- 
tion of paintings and curiosities in these several places 
is large. The old " Barfusser " church of the four- 
teenth century is now used as a historical museum. 
Among its curiosities is a series of famous wall paint- 
ings entitled " Dance of Death.'^ Here death is rep- 
resented as coming to persons in nearly all stations of 
life. The grim visitor, represented by a skeleton, leaps 
about those whom it is calling away ; hence the title 
" Dance of Death '^ is appropriate. Death comes to the 
pope, the king, the queen, the duke, all kinds of officials 
in Church and State, the cook, the farmer, the cripple, 
etc., but no one is willing to go. Dismay is depicted 
on the faces of all. The pope and other high church 
officials seem to be the most unwilling to depart. Of 
all called upon to follow Death only one expressed his 
readiness to go, and this is a blind man who is being 
led about by a dog tied to a rope. Death cuts the rope, 
and the poor man is entirely helpless. He exclaims : 
" Thank God that my hour has come." Death snatches 
away the crutch of a eripple, and grabs a Jew by his 
long beard. This group of paintings is interesting and 
impressive. 

Many years ago a friend presented me with an old 
German picture book entitled " Todes Tanz." It is 



BASEL. 185 

«tated that the pictures are copies of those in Basel 
mentioned above. Until recently I never expected to 
see these pictures. Now this book has a far greater 
value to me than ever before. 

The University of Basel was founded in 1459. It 
now has some 70 professors and 350 students. During 
the Reformation period this university was a central 
point of spiritual life, numbering among its professors 
such famous men as Erasmus and Oecolampadius, both 
of whom are buried in the Miinster of Basel. The 
seminary has half a dozen professors and about 100 
students. In the university library there are 250,000 
volumes and 4,000 manuscripts. The latter date mostly 
from the Council of Basel and the Reformation. 

On June 24, 1910, the 450th anniversary of the 
Basel University was celebrated in the presence of 
many former professors and students. On this occa- 
sion the citizens of Basel contributed over $66,000 to 
endow a fund for the benefit of living descendants of 
professors of the university. Mr. Geigy-Merion also 
gave $50,000 for the remodelling of the univeroity 
building. 

One of the most interesting institutions in the city 
is the Basel Mission House, belonging to the largest and 
oldest foreign missionary society in Europe. It is a 
long four-story building and is located just outside the 
Spalen Thor, the finest of the remaining gates of the 
city. The society was started as a thank-offering to 
the Lord for saving the city from bombardment in 
1815. Here young men are being prepared for the 
foreign field. The society has missions in India, China 
and Africa. Its receipts are the largest of any society 
13 



186 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

in Europe, being some $250,000 per year. As a rule 
the missionaries are also mechanics, so that they may 
be able to teach various trades to the people in pagan 
countries. This is an excellent plan. In a certain 
place the converts, who had been taught weaving, pro- 
duced 100,000 yards of cloth in a year. The Mission 
House iucludes a museum, which contains numerous 
interesting relics, such as idols, implements of war, 
household utensils, etc. 

Among the street scenes in Basel are many women 
attending market in open places. They occupy them- 
selves with knitting while waiting for customers. 

Zurich (in Swiss Ziirch) is the largest and most 
important city in Switzerland, with a population of 
about 190,000. It is located at the northern end of 
Lake Zurich and on both sides of the rapid river Lim- 
met, which flows out from the lake. It is the centre 
for silk and cotton mills. Here we for the first time 
saw the snow-capped Alps in the distance. In the 
year 58 before Christ, Zurich fell under the sway of 
the Romans, as did the other places in Switzerland. 
The city united with the Swiss Confederacy in 1351. 
From an early date Zurich was the intellectual leader 
of Switzerland. As the home of Ulric Zwingli from 
1519 to 1531 it was the centre of the Reformation in 
the republic. Its schools have always been famous 
for the men it produced. Among these were Hottinger, 
Lavater, Pestalozzi, etc. There are fine monuments to 
Zwingli and Pestalozzi. In the older part of the city 
the streets are narrow and the houses lofty, which con- 
veys the appearance of a city of the Middle Ages. 



ZURICH. 187 

Perhaps the most interesting building in Zurich is 
the Miinster or Cathedral, which was erected in the 
eleventh and thirteenth centuries. This is the church 
in which the noted Swiss reformer, Ulric Zwingli, 
preached from 1519 to 1531. It has two towers. In 
one of them is a statue of Charlemagne, the famous 
Roman emperor, who frequently resided in Zurich and 
gave large gifts to the church. 

Zwino^ii came here in 1519 from Einsiedlen, where 
he had commenced preaching the gospel. He met with 
a hearty reception from the first. Tlie church was 
crowded whenever he preached. His pieachiog was so 
diiferent from that of the Roman priests. He declared : 
** It is to Christ I wish to guide you ; to Christ, the 
true source of salvation." The priests had been direct- 
ing the people to the Virgin Mary. No wonder the 
people heard Zwingli gladly. He preacbt d not only on 
Sunday, but also on market days to the people from 
the country. He made a deep impressioD. In 1523 
the City Council directed that the church service 
should be conducted according to the Scriptures. Gradu- 
ally the Lord^s Supper was substituted for the Romish 
Mass. 

Compared with most Catholic churches the interior 
of this Miinster is rather plain. Tiie windows contain 
figures of Christ, Peter and Paul. The pulpit is at the 
side, and the organ of 3,000 pipes on a iolty gallery. 
About 15,000 souls, including children ^ belong to the 
Miinster, which has two pastors Revs. Fiusler and 
Jozi. The baptizmal font is 300 years oki At No. 4 
Zwingliplatz is the parsonage which was occupied by 
Henry Bullingf:r, and in the rear of the church stands 
the house occupied by Zwingli from 1622 to 1524. 



188 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

lu this church the people learned to revere the Word 
of God, and to this day they stand whilst the Word is 
being read in the church service. 

In Zurich Zwingli performed his life-work. He 
not only preached the pure gospel, but also served as 
counsellor for the civil government, just as John Calvin 
did in Geneva. It was during a most trying period, 
when the Catholics of Switzerland were arrayed in 
arms against the Eeformed. Zwingli gave not only his 
talents, bat also his life to the cause of evangelical 
truth. 

It was whilst Zwingli was pastor at Zurich that 
he met his untimely and tragic death on October 11, 
1531. The Catholic army of 8,000 men made a sud~ 
den move toward Zurich ; and the citizens, with Zwingli 
as their chaplain, went out to meet them. In the battle 
at Cappel the Refortned or Protestants were completely 
defeated and Zwingli was killed. His last words werie : 
" They may kill the body, but they cannot kill the soul." 
The body of Zwiagli was burned by his enemies and 
the ashes cast to the winds. Zwingli was killed^ but 
the cause for which he contended and died went on and 
lives to-day. The great Reformer died under a p ar 
tree, and there stands such a tree at the place to-day. 
Whenever the tree dies, another one is planted in its 
place. Where Zwiugli died, there stands a monument 
to his memory. The defeat of the Protestants Avas the 
result of long inactivity on their part. Zwingli had 
earnestly urged the people of Zurich to prepare for de- 
feuce, but they did not think there was any danger until 
it was too late. 

St. Peters church is a fine building, with a massive 
tower and a large electric clock, the dial of which is 



ZURICH. 189 

twenty-nine feet in diameter. In this church Lavater 
preached for 23 years, until 1801, when he was cruelly 
wounded by a French soldier while succoring^ the 
wounded in the streets of Zurich, when the city was 
captured by Massena on Sept. 26, 1799. He died from 
the wound on Jan. 2, 1801. Lavater was a truly good 
man. Goethe said of him : " He is the best, greatest, 
wisest and sincerest man I ever knew.^' Lavater is 
buried close to the northern wall of the church. 

The City Library is in the former Wasser Kirche 
(water cliurch), so called because it once stood in the 
water. No services have been held here since the 
Reformation. It is said that in 312 three citizens were 
beheaded on a little island, upon which spot this church 
was erected as a memorial to them. The library in this 
place is large and interesting, comprising over 160,000 
volumes and 4,500 manuscripts. Here is a copy of the 
first book printed in Switzerland, 1470 ; letters from 
Schiller, Goethe and Frederick the Great ; three letters 
of Zwingli to his wife; a letter of Henry lY. of 
France ; three letters in Latin of Lady Jane Grey to 
Rev. Bullinger; letters of John Calvin, Leo Juda, 
Peter Martyr, etc.; portraits of Zwingli and Bullinger; 
epistles of Paul, copied by Zwingli ; first New Testa- 
ment published in Switzerland, translated by Luther in 
1523; first French Bible printed in Switzerland in 
1535; a model of Zwingli's house at Wildhaus; a pic- 
ture of Zwingli^s death at Cappel. 

One of the most interesting books is Zwingli's 
Bible of 1518, printed at Venice. The New Testa- 
ment is in Greek, and there are many notes in his own 
handwriting. Zwingli knew whole books of the New 



190 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Testament by heart, which gave him great power in his 
disputatioDS. But a still more interestiog volume is 
the Bible which Zwingli and Leo Juda translated. The 
Reformed Cimrch can boast that her Swiss Bible was 
the first Protestant version, for it was commenced in 
1524 and completed in 1529, whilst Luther^s Ger- 
man translation was completed only in 1534. The fact 
is that more than six editions of the Swiss Bible were 
published before Lather's was completed. Near this 
museum stands a fine bronze statue of Zwingli. 

The university is also an interesting place. From 
it we had a fine view of the city, the lake and the Alps. 
It was founded in 1832, and includes a theological semi- 
nary with six professors and 100 students. The uni- 
versity has over 100 professors and lecturers, and 1,300 
students. 

The Swi<^s National Museum contains the most im- 
portant collection in Switzerland of historical and in- 
dustrial objects from prehistoric days to the present 
time. Its collection of stained glass windows is said to 
be the best in the world. / 

In the city arsenal are preserved Zwingli's battle 
axe, sword, coat of mail and helmet. 

Among the street scenes in Zurich we saw a num- 
ber of women who plied their occupation as shoe-shiners. 
We had never before seen women thus employed. 

Lucerne, a town of 37,000 people, is most beauti- 
fully situated at the northwestern point of Lake Lu- 
cerne, where the swift river Reuss issues from the lake. 
This beautiful sheet of water is also called " Vierwald- 
statter-See," because its shores touch the four forest 
cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden and Lucerne. 



LUCERNE. 191 

The city is still enclosed by a well-preserved wall, 
erected in 1385, with nine watch-towers. From here 
a fine view is aiforded of the mountains Rigi, Pilatus, 
and the snow-clad Alpine peaks of Uri and Engelberg. 
Here is an example of the deceptiveness of distance 
in this country. These mountains appear to be quite 
close to the town, whilst they are many miles away. 

Lake Lucerne*has many interesting historic associa- 
tions. It was on the shore of this lake that the three 
men StauflPacher, Fiirst and Melchthai^ — met in 1307 
and solemnly vowed to free their country from Austrian 
oppression. The events in the life of William Tell are 
also connected with the lake. 

The two sections of the town are connected by seven 
bridges over the river Reuss. Two of these bridges are 
of great interest, both on account of their age and their 
peculiar construction. These are the Kappell bridge 
and the Spreuer bridge. These two bridges date from 
the Middle Ages, and are therefore very old. Both are 
constructed of wood and rest upon wooden posts in the 
water. They are very low, being apparently only a few 
feet above the water, and lead obliquely across the 
stream. Again, both are only foot bridges, no vehicles 
crossing them. Both bridges are covered and right un- 
der the roof in triangular form are many paintings. In 
the Kappell bridge are 154 scenes from the lives of St. 
Leodegar and St. Mauritius, the patron saints of Lu- 
cerne, and from the history of the town. In the Spreuer 
bridge are paintings representing the '* Dance of Death " 
described on page 184. 

All these paintings date from the eighteenth cen- 
tury. They are old and some rather indistinct. Being 



192 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

exposed to the changes of the atmosphere, it is a wonder 
that they have not been entirely ruined. We examined 
these peculiar paintings as we crossed the bridge slowly. 

Adjoining the Kappell bridge in the centre of the 
river stands the Water Tower, which contains the ar- 
chives of the town. Tradition tells us that this build- 
ing was once a lighthouse (Jwern^) and that the name 
Lucerne is derived from it. 

These Lucerners in a general way know how to 
make money from the tourists. On the fourth of July 
the Americans celebrated Independence Day with a 
banquet. One of the speakers jokingly remarked that 
"Switzerland's greatest industry was the import of 
Americans with full pockets and their export with 
empty pockets." Lucerne gets an ever-increasing share 
of this profitable business. To this city came 7,142 
Americans and Canadians in July, 1910, over a thou- 
sand more than in the previous July. 

The Hofkirche (court church) is said to have been 
founded in the eighth century. In 1633 it was de- 
stroyed by fire, but rebuilt. It has two towers, which 
were erected in 1506. Inside there is a carved pulpit 
which is quite artistic. The stained glass windows are 
very old. Valuable works of the twelfth century are 
preserved in the treasury. 

One of the churches bears the unique name of Bar- 
fiisser (Barefooter's) church. There is a church with a 
similar name in Basel, but it is now used as a museum. 

One of the interesting objects of Lucerne is the fa- 
mous Lion Monument in memory of the 26 of&cers and 
760 soldiers of the Swiss Guard who fell in defending 
the Tuilleries of Paris on Aug. 10, 1792. The lion is 



LUCERNE. 19S 

28 feet loDg and was cut out of a solid sandstone rock on 
a mountain side by the Danish sculptor Thorwaldsen. 
During the winter the lion is boarded up to protect it 
against the action of the weather. This peculiar mon- 
ument attracts many sight- seers. We found many 
visitors there when we viewed it. 

Another very interesting place in Lucerne is the 
Glacier Garden near the Lion Monument. This is a 
rocky place which must have been at some time at the 
foot of a high mountain. There are a number of so- 
called glacier mills. The water from melted ice and 
snow rushed down the mountain sides with such force 
as to form basins in the rocks below, and in these basins 
large stones were whirled around until deep circular 
holes had been worn into the rocks. The place was 
discovered in 1872. It is rather difficult to realize that 
the large kettles in the solid rocks can have been formed 
in the way stated, but the process is illustrated by means 
of an artificial glacier mill in actual operation at the 
side of a hill. My doubts about the reality of glacier 
mills were completely dissipated by this artificial demon- 
stration. A glacier mill is one of the wonders of 
nature. 

Nearby is a Labyrinth — a place in which a large 
number of mirrors are so arranged as to produce a most 
confusing effect. One imagines he sees many persons, 
whilst it is only his own form duplicated many times. 
Our party of four seemed to be fifty people. And in 
trying to pass along one constantly runs against the 
mirrors. It is almost impossible to find the way out. 
One thinks : " Oh, this is the way," and in an instant 
his face is against the mirror. 



194 RAMBLES IN EUEOPE. 

In the Glacier Garden there is a model of a Swiss 
cottage, with this incription on the front : 

''So Jemaod war auf dieser Erde, 
Der alien Leuten recht thun kanu, 
So bitt' ich ihn in alien Ehren, 
Dass er mich diese KuDst mocht lehren/' 

The oldest building in Lucerne is the ancient 
" Rathhaus ^^ (council building), which was erected in 
1519-1605. It was thoroughly restored in 1905-8. 
There are a number of quaint and picturesque houses 
of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in the 
crooked streets of the older part of the town. But 
here, as elsewhere, I was surprised at the many fine 
modern buildings. 

One of the interesting places in Lucerne is the Pano- 
rama of the French army in Switzerland during the 
war between France and Germany in 1870-71. The 
army of the East, under Gen. Bourbaki, after having 
lost 10,000 men, was by the German army under Gen. 
von Werder driven into neutral Switzerland, where it 
was disarmed. Bourbaki attempted to commit suicide. 
This occurred in February, 1871. The Swiss army ap- 
peared and took possession of the frontier. The poor, 
dispirited French soldiers built numerous camp fires to 
keep warm in midwinter. There was snow on the 
ground. Many horses fell dead of starvation. The 
generous Swiss people brought food for the hungry 
soldiers, women carrying large baskets upon their heads. 
The place where this event occurred is near Geneva. 
All the incidents are shown in the panorama. The lec- 
turer stated that the French army thus surrendering to 
the Swiss numbered 80,000, but this seems like an ex- 
aggeration. 




CHAPTER XIIL -SWITZERLAND (Continued). 

Farm Building's. - Bern, the Capital.— Town Clock.— Pos- 
tal Union Monument.— Geneva.— John Calvin's Work. 
St. Peter's Cathedral.— Calvin's Academy. 
University.— Servetus.—Simplon Pass. 

HE way from Lucerne to Bern leads up 
through numerous railroad tunnels to 
what is known as the Bernese Ober- 
iand. The country has a romantic ap- 
pearance. In Switzerland the peasants 
live on their farms, instead of in vil- 
lages, as in many other countries. We 
were impressed with their peculiar 
houses. On each farm there is only 
one building, which serves as house, barn, chicken- 
house and pig sty. Many of these buildings are quite 
large and substantial. I used to think that this style 
of buildings belonged to former ages, but new farm 
buildings are erected after the same style. The family 
quarters are at one end of the building, whilst the 
horses, cattle, pigs and chickens are housed in the other 
parts, together with the farm products. No doubt the 
arrangement has its good features, otherwise the people 
would not hold on to it so tenaciously. It is no doubt 
convenient in rainy weather and in winter, but for sani- 
tation it does not seem to recommend itself. Farm 
buildings of the same kind are also found in many parts 
of Germany and Austria. In the village of Ober Am- 
mergau, the home of the Passion Play, many of the 
buildings are of this sort. 

The farmers were engaged in making hay. They 
had much trouble to dry the grass on account of fre- 



196 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

quent rains. In this region the farms are more gener- 
erally fenced than in many other sections. As we pass 
along the valleys of this mountainous region we see 
many small cataracts. Most of the railroad stations 
bear names which seem very peculiar to us. The Swiss 
are fund of flowers. Many humble homes are adorned 
with beautiful flower beds, which gives them a pleasing 
appearance. Sometimes after passing through a barren 
region the train stops at a little station surrounded by 
beautiful flower beds. In Switzerland no mowing ma- 
chines are employed. The farmers cut their grass with 
scythes and their grain mostly with sickles. The hay 
and grain are conveyed from the fields by donkeys or 
oxen. In some hilly places the fruits of the earth are 
carried home on the backs of donkeys. The loads 
completely cover the little animals ; one sees only their 
legs moving. 

Bern is the capital of Switzerland and the finest 
city in the country. It is situated in a loop of the river 
Aare, being surrounded by it on three sides. There are 
several bridges spanning the Aare, one of them an im- 
posing modern iron structure 751 feet long. About 
80,000 people live in the city. The name " Bern '' ap- 
pears to have been derived from bear. Bern is a kind 
of bear city. In the shop- windows toy bears are offered 
for sale, numerous figures of bears appear as architec- 
teciural ornaments, and in two large pits in the eastern 
end of the city living bears have been kept at public 
expense for several centuries. One of the prominent 
objects in the city is the famous Bear Clock. It is lo- 
cated in an old tower which was the western gate of the 
old town, but now is in the centre of the city. The 



BERN. 197 

clock strikes the quarter hours. At the fourth quarter 
a large bell strikes the hour. Just before this time a 
rooster makes his appearance and crows, after which a 
group of bears come out of the tower and march around 
the figure of a man, which then reverses an hour glass. 
The cock crows once more, and the performance is over, 
to be repeated every hour. This clock is a remarkable 
piece of mechanism, but is not as large as the great 
clock in the cathedral at Strassburg. 

Bern was founded in 1191, and became independent 
of the Austrians in 1218. In 1288 this city had be- 
come strong enough to resist successfully two sieges of 
the Austrians, and in 1339 the Bernese overthrew the 
Burguodian noble at the battle of Laupen. In 1353 
Bern joined the Swiss Confederation. 

In 1528 the people of Bern accepted the Eeformed 
doctrines. Ulric Zwingli, the Swiss Reformer, at the 
early age of thirteen came to Bern to study. He was 
then already a fine musician. Tfiirty years later Zwingli 
came again to Bern, but then as a leader of the Reforma- 
tion. A Oonference or Disputation was held in the city 
in 1528 between Catholics and Reformers. The Refor- 
mation had already a firm foothold in the city. About 
one hundred ministers, priests and theologians attended. 
Zwingli was the Reformed leader. He preached every 
day iu the cathedral on the twelve articles of the 
Apostles' Creed and made a profound impression. He 
showed that the Roman doctrines were clearly at vari- 
ance with the teachings of the Scriptures. During one 
of his sermons a Roman priest was converted and pub- 
licly laid aside his priestly robes and declared that he 
would never again celebrate the Mass. As a result of 



198 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

this Conference the Reformation was fully accepted by 
the people who have ever since held firmly to the Re- 
formed Church. At present nearly all the people of 
Bern are Reformed. 

There are a number of high points in the city 
which afford magnificent views, not only of Bern, but 
of the surrounding country to a great distance, includ- 
ing the Bernese Alps. One of these places is called 
Kleine Schanze and another Grosse Schanze. {Schanze 
means a '^ place of defence.'^) Near the Kleine Schanze 
stands a fine monument in commemoration of the Uni- 
versal Postal Union, which has its headquarters in this 
city. In the centre is a large globe, and around it are 
figures representing the several nations belonging to 
the Union. The handS; of these figures touch each 
other, and they pass letters one to the other. The idea 
is beautiful and appropriate. 

The government buildings are of good size and 
occupy a conspicuous pSace. We inspected the capitol, 
in which the National Congress of Switzerland holds its 
sessions. The building of course does not compare in 
size with the capitol of the United States, or many of 
the American state houses. But it is a beautiful struc- 
ture, with a fine, large dome and a grand marble stair- 
case. The chambers of the two houses are finely fur- 
nished. They are not large, because the national body 
is small. The upper house is embellished with a fine 
painting representing " The Cradle of the Confedera- 
tion" — the Lake of Lucerne. Congress meets four 
times each year. At the entrance to the capitol stand 
two colossal figures of bears. During the sessions of 
Congress three languages are spoken — German, French 



BERN. 19^ 

and Italian. This would seem to be confusing. Un- 
less the members are familiar with all three languages 
they must be at a disadvantage. 

Immediately in front of the eapitol building there 
is an open market place. Here all kinds of vegetables 
and fruit are sold, almost exclusively by women. One 
lady was selling vegetables from a baby-coach. The 
fruit in Switzerland and Italy is remarkably large and 
fine. Such large cherries I had never seen. 

The Miinster or Cathedral is a large, old building, 
285 feet long, 118 feet wide and 77 feet high. It was 
commenced in 1421 and completed in 1598. The choir 
stalls are adorned with figures of Christ and the Apostles, 
Moses and the Prophets. A monument in the church 
contains the names of 702 Bernese citizens who fell in 
a battle with the French on March 5, 1798. The church 
contains a famous organ with 60 stops, erected in 1 849. 
250 steps lead up into the tower, which contains seven 
bells on two floors. The largest bell dates from 1611, 
and weighs 2,670 pounds. The church has 1,500 sit- 
tings. There are three ministers who are paid by the 
State. There is only one service on a Sunday, in the 
forenoon. On Wednesday evening they have ^* Bibel- 
stunde," which is similar to an American prayer 
meeting. There are five Reformed churches in Bern. 
The Catholics have two. 

The University of Bern was founded in 1834, and 
has some 1,900 students. Its library includes 200,000 
volumes, besides 1,000 newspapers and other periodi- 
cals in its reading room. The university is housed in 
a fine modern building. 

In the streets of Bern there are a number of public 
fountains, which are surmounted by figures. One of 



2U0 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

these fountains bears the name of " Kindlifresser," be- 
cause its figure is that of a very large ogre in the act 
of swallowing a little child. Strange idea ! 

The city has a number of museums. The Histori- 
cal Museum contains the original manuscript of the 
famous German national hymn '^Die Wacht am 
Rhein." There are numerous paintings in the Art 
Museum, and in the Natural History Museum many 
speciaiens of geology, skeletons, animals, etc. 

Bern is the most regularly laid out city in the coun- 
try, and is regarded as the most beautiful in the little 
mountain republic. It derives its importance princi- 
pally from the fact of its being the capital of the coun- 
try. Many European names strike Americans strangely. 
One of the streets of Bern is called " Gerechtigkeits- 
gasse '^ (Righteousness street). Another street is named 
*^ Christolfelgasse." 

One of the peculiarities of Bern consists in the 
fact that along the main street in the old section 
of the city the upper stories of the houses extend over 
the pavements. This arrangement protects people 
against the weather, but it makes the stores rather dark. 
These arcades are called " Lauben.'^ A similar ar- 
rangement exists in Chester, England. 

At the centre of the trolly system stands a fine 
monument to Adrian von Bubenberg, the brave defender 
of Morat against Charles the Bold. Nearby is the 
Church of the Holy Ghost, a fine building erected in 
1727-29. 

A little south of Bern is the town of Freiburg, 
which contains a noted organ that is capable of imi- 
tating the human voice almost to perfection. Its tones 
are said to be very touching. 



GENEVA. 201 

On our way from Bern to Geneva we had pointed 
out to us the pass in the Jura Mountains in the west 
throagh which Napoleon in 1800 led his army iato 
Switzerland on his way to Italy. From Lausanne our 
train sped along Lake Geneva for a long distance. We 
came to Geneva on a Saturday evening and spent a 
number of days there very pleasantly. 

Geneva (German Genf) is one of the largest cities 
in Switzerland. Including the suburbs it has a popu- 
lation of over a hundred thousand. Situated at the 
extreme southwestern part of Lake Geneva, it lies near 
,the border of France, where the swift blue waters of 
the river Rhone emerge fromthe lake, and a short dis- 
tance above the confluence of the rivers Rhone and 
Arve. Originally a Gallic towUj one hundred years 
before the birth of Christ it came under Roman au- 
thority. Afterwards it was subject to different states. 
With the aid of Freiburg and Bern Geneva in 1526 
achieved its independence from Savoy. At this time 
two parties were formed in the town. One of these were 
the ^^ Eidgenossen " (Confederates), pronounced by the 
French *'' Higuenos," from which the name Huguenots 
was derived. The other party were tbe Mamelukes. 
There was much discord between these parties, because 
the Mamelukes favored the House of Savoy. The ac- 
ceptance of Protestantism by Geneva soon ended the 
alliance with Freiburg, and Geneva was again exposed 
to attacks from Savoy. In 1536 Geneva was once more 
isaved from Savoy by the intervention of Bern, John 
Calvin, the great French Reformer, came to Geneva in 
the summer of the same year (1536) and commenced 
the work of reforming the political as well as the re- 
14 



202 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Jigious life of the people, and the city became one of 
the chief strongholds of Protestantism. In 1602 the 
last attempt of the Duke of Savoy to recover Geneva 
was frustrated by the citizens. 

The French revolution brought on a new crisis. In 
July, 1794, the government was overthrown and a 
reign of terror followed. In 1798 Geneva and its ter- 
ritory were united to France, but in 1814, after the over- 
throw of Napoleon," the city regained its independence^ 
and then united with the Swiss Confederation as the 
twenty-second canton. On the eastern bank of the 
river, in the old part of the city, in a small park, standi 
a national monument in commemoration of this event. 
It consists of two large female figures. Formerly the 
city was walled. Since 1847 the city has been almost 
entirely rebuilt in modern style. The old ramparts 
have been removed, and the streets widened and paved. 

John Calvin came to Geneva under peculiar circum- 
stances. After the tragic death of Zwingli in 1531, 
William Farel was the principal leader of the Swiss 
Reformation. Calvin had been driven out of France,^ 
his native country, because he preached the new doc- 
trines. He had fled to Italy, but, now on his way to 
Germany, he spent a night at Geneva in 1535, and that 
night proved a turning-point in his life. Calvin and 
Fiirel met. The latter had been looking for a man ta 
preach the gospel in Geneva, and he now believed that 
Calvin was that man. He had heard of Calvin^s fame 
through his great work entitled " Institutes of the 
Christian Religion.'^ He appealed to Calvin to remain 
in Geneva, using every possible means of persuasion, 
but Calvin would not consent, pleading poor health and 



JOHN CALVIN^S WORK. 203 

other excuses. Finally Farel, lifting his hand toward 
heaven, said : " In the name of Almighty God I de- 
clare that, if you will not answer this summons, He 
will not bless your plans." And then, fixing his eyes 
of fire on the young man, and placing his hand upon 
his head, cried out : " May God curse your repose, may 
God curse your studies, if in such a great necessity you 
withdraw and refuse to give us help and support." 

Calvin could not resist such an appeal. He after- 
wards said : ^^ It was as if God had seized me with His 
awful hand from heaven." He remained at Geneva 
and at once ientered upon the work of reforming the 
city religiously, socially and politically. It was not 
natural to expect that all would fall into line with his 
measures. For many these were too radical. Calvin 
was a stern man. After three years (in 1538) he was 
driven out, and went to Strassburg. However, three 
years later, in 1641, the people of Geneva saw their 
error and were glad to call Calvin back. He returned 
and labored here for twenty-five years until his death. 
It was mainly through his efforts that Geneva became a 

model city. 

Calvin died on May 27, 1564. He liad long suf- 
fered from poor health, bu. continued his work as long 
as possible. His last days were spent in prayer. He 
gathered the ministers to his bedside and spoke words 
of cheer and comfort to them. He was buried in what 
is now an old cemetery at Plain Palais, in the western 
part of the city. Our party visited his grave, conducted 
to the spot by one of the keepers. Calvin had forbid- 
den the erection of any kind of monument. The only 
mark at his grave is a small stone containing the letters 



204 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

" J. C' Here under a large spruce tree in a lonely 
place rest the remains of this great and influential man. 

For us one of the most interesting places in Geneva 
was St. Peter^s cathedral in the old part of the city. 
This is the church in which John Calvin preached so 
long with great power. The church is very old, dating 
from the tenth century. It was altered in the twelfth 
and thirteenth centuries, and recently restored thor- 
oughly. In the eighteenth century a Corinthian portico 
was added, but it is generally considered that this only 
disfigured the building. The church was of course 
originally Catholic, of which fact it bears many inter- 
nal evidences, the old CathoUc arrangements having 
been allowed to remain. There are a number of graves 
and monuments of famous men in the church. Calvin's 
chair still stands under the pulpit. Each of our party 
sat in it. A number of large old tombstones stand 
against the wall of the church. About a thousand 
members belong to this parish. There are four pastors. 
Connected with the cathedral is the Chapel of the Mac- 
cabe< s, in which marriages and baptisms are perfornied. 
St Peter's is a very plain affair in comparison with 
many Catholic churches, in which much attention is 
given to the spectacular. Alongside St. Peter's cathe- 
dral is a small church, which contains the old pulpit 
from which Calvin preached many years. John Knox 
also preached here in 1554 and 1556. 

A short distance to the west, but still under the 
shadow of the church, we found the place where Calvin 
lived. It is at No. 11 Calvin street, but the old 
house has been replaced by a newer one. A tablet on 
the wail reads thus : " The house of John Calvin on 



JOHN CALVIN^S WORK. 205 

this site was demolished in 1706 and a new one erected 
in exact reproduction of the original.'^ It is a plain, 
unpretentious house. Here lived the great Reformer 
in humble circumstances. 

Calvin was a very gifted man. He was only about 
26 years of age when he wrote his great work '^ insti- 
tutes of the Christian Religion/^ and died at the age of 
55 years. This great work was written in Latin. Sub- 
quently it was greatly enlarged by Calvin^ and has 
since been translated into French, German, English, 
Dutch, Himgarian, Italian, Spanish, Greek and Arabic, 
a fact which indicates the great popularity of the work. 

We also visited the old building in which Calvin in 
1559 established his academy at Geneva. This insti- 
tution was an important factor in the Reformation, In 
1873 the academy was converted into a university. In 
July, 1909, a great Reformation Festival was held in 
Geneva, which was attended by numerous graduates of 
the school founded by Calvin, They put up a brass 
tablet upon the original school building with this in- 
scription : " Erected by the graduates of the school in 
commemoration of the Reformation Festival of July 5, 
1909." The inscription is in French and we had a 
little trouble to find some one to translate it for us. 
Calvin lectured in the academy on theological subjects. 
It is said that often one thousand students attended his 
lectures. 

Another place of interest in Geneva is Reformation 
Hall, containing a large lecture>hall. One room is the 
Calvinium, containing numerous memorials of Calvin, 
a model of the city of Jerusalem and many curiosities. 

We also visited the fine buildings of the University 
of Geneva, into which Calvin^s Academy was devel- 



206 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

oped. The buildings are large and fine. The library, 
founded about the middle of the sixteenth century, con- 
tains 150 000 volumes and 1,500 manuscripts. There 
are many objects of interest. Here is a French Bible 
printed at Geneva in 1588, richly bound in red morocco, 
designed by the Council of Geneva as a gift to Henry 
IV., king of France, but never presented to him, because 
he renounced Protestantism ; a very large Latin Bible 
used in St. Peter's cathedral in the sixteenth century ; 
letters of Napoleon Bonaparte, Henry IV., Beza, Bul- 
linger, Calvin ; beautifully illuminated books in manu- 
script ; scroll of Greek Liturgy of St. Ohrysostom ; 
Book of Esther in Hebrew ; painting of Calvin on his 
death-bed, giving i parting counsel to ministers and 
others; numerous portraits of Calvin; wax tablets of 
1308 for keeping accounts, etc. The university has 70 
professors and about 1100 students. 

In July of 1909 the four hundredth anniversary of 
the birth of John Calvin was celebrated in Geneva. It 
was attended by many Protestants of note from many 
parts. At this festival steps were taken for the erection 
of a grand Reformation monument immediately to the 
north of the university in Geneva. The background 
of the monument will be the " Wall of the Reforma- 
tion," which was erected in the sixteenth century as a 
protection against the enemies of the Reformation. A 
tablet in the wall indicates the spot where the monument 
will be erected. We found it in a beautiful part of the 
old Botanical Garden. This monument will be an 
elaborate affair. A central group of figures will repre- 
sent the Reformers Calvin, Farel, Knox and Beza. On 
the sides will be figures of Coligny, of France ; Wil- 



GREEK CHURCH. 207 

liam the Silent, of Holland ; Oliver Cromwell, of Eng- 
land ; Frederick William, of Brandenburg, and Roger 
Williams. 

There is a Greek or Russian church in Geneva, 
which is the most costly church for its size which I 
have ever seen. A vast deal of gold was used in its 
construction. The building, neither on the outside nor 
inside, looks much like a church. There are five gilded 
domes, but all are low. They are richly adorned. The 
man in charge gave us this information : Confession is 
obligatory. There are only about two dozen chairs for 
the use of aged and infirm persons. Other persons 
stand or kneel during the service of one and one-half 
hours' duration. The church is small, but most richly 
furnished, the adornments having been presented by 
the imperial family of Russia. The cost of the church, 
exclusive of furnishings, and not including the lot, 
which was donated, was $400,000. The internal ar- 
rangements remind one more of a lodge room than a 
church. There is a small room, the holy of holies, 
where only the priests may enter. On Easter 300 per- 
sons crowd into the main rooai, which seems to hold 
only about 150. There are about 2,800 Russians in 
Geneva. 2,000 of them are indiiferent to religion, and 
among: these are some anarchists. At the time of our 
visit the coffined corpse of a young man lay on a bier 
in the church. It is customary to place the dead in 
the church some time before funerals. 

The City Hall is of special interest to Americans 
from the fact that in this building a momentous ques- 
tion which arose during our Civil War was settled. 
The warship "Alabama" was built at Birkenhead, 



208 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Ecgland, for the Confederates. This man-of war cap- 
tured or sank 65 Union vessels and destroyed property 
to the amount of $4,000,000. Our government claimed 
compensation from England for these damages. For a 
time this matter endangered the peace between the 
United States and England. It was finally referred to 
a commission of five persons, one of whom was ap- 
pointed by each of the governments of England, the 
United States, Italy, Switzerland and Brazil. This 
commission met in the city hall of Geneva and directed 
England to pay the United States the sum of over $16,- 
000,000. 

During the time of Calvin church discipline in Ge- 
neva was very severe. Heresy was punished with 
death. A number of persons were executed for this 
cause. After Calvin had been called back to Geneva 
he set about thoroughly reforming the city, in which 
much wickedness prevailed. An ** ecclesiastical consti- 
tution -^ was drawn up by a commission, and finally ap- 
proved by the General Assembly of the city in No- 
vember, 1641. It was a kind of code of Blue Laws, 
like those of the Puritans in New England. Dancing, 
gaming, theatre-going, ribald songs, boisterous conduct, 
disrespect to the ministry were forbidden on pain of 
punishment. Church attendance, on Sunday as well as 
on week-days, the calling of the pastors to attend the sick 
within three days, household worship, etc, were strictly 
enjoined. Blasphemy and open licentiousness were 
severely punished. The new laws were very strict and 
Calvin was a stern disciplinarian. The people had 
willingly accepted the new constitution, and Calvin 
held them rigidly to it. In doing this he encountered 



SERVETUS. 209 

fierce opposition. There was a class of irreligious people 
called Libertines, to whom Calvin refused the commu- 
nion in St, Peter's church. On one communion occasion 
a number of them presented themselves in the church 
and demanded the sacrament, but Calvin refused to 
give it to them and a riot ensued in the church. 

Michael Servetus was a French physician, who had 
come to Geneva. He had published a book in which 
he denied the divinity of Christ, and he was also a blas- 
phemer. He had been at Vienna, where the Catholics 
had condemned him to death, but he escaped. At 
Geneva he was arrested and tried. The trial continued 
two months, with some intervals. He poured the foulest 
epithets upon Calvin. Servetus was condemned to be 
burned at the stake. Calvin tried to prevent this form 
of execution, but failed. Servetus was burned near the 
city, together with his condemned book. Calvin has 
been severely blamed for this cruel act, but it was the 
law which condemned the heretic and blasphemer. The 
death of this man certainly looks cruel to us in our day, 
but in those critical times men like Servetus were con- 
sidered as public enemies, and the laws were severe. 
Such a thing could not happen now, either in Switzer- 
land or America. 

In 1903 a monument was erected to Servetus in 
Geneva, near the Canton Hospital, at a side of a hill 
where the road forks. We went to see it. It consists 
of a large, high, plain stone, bearing this inscription : 

"October, 27, 1553. 
September 29, 1511.'' 

The former date is the day of his execution ; the latter 
that of his birth. Servetus had also been in conflict 
with Luther, Oecolampadius, Bucer and others. 



210 RAMBLES IN EUJROPE. 

One of the most beautiful parts of Geneva is along 
the lake. There is a wide street, with fine buildings 
on the west and the lake on the east. This is called 
the Quay, here as in other cities. From this prome- 
nade in clear weather may be seen the top of Mont 
Blanc, forty miles away toward the southeast. This 
interesting snow-capped landmark, which was pointed 
out to us, has an altitude of 15,782 feet, and is the 
highest: mountain in Europe. It is only about 150 years 
since men undertook to climb this mountain. Since 
then many have done so, and many others have lost 
their lives in the effort. Along this street is the " Kur- 
saal," a large and splendid theatre, said to rank next 
to those in Paris and Vienna. As we passed along here 
late on Sunday afternoon several thousand people came 
out of it. A little further on stands the elaborate 
Brunswick Monument to the memory of Duke Charjes 
II , who died in 1873 and bequeathed his property, 
about $5,000,000, to the city. Nearly all the business 
houses were open, as were also the numerous drinking 
places, but we saw no evidences of intemperancei' 

At the end of the lake, just where the river Rhone 
emerges from it, is the splendid Mont Blanc bridge, 
which is 840 feet long and connects the old and new 
parts of the city. Right below this bridge is a small 
island, upon which stands a bronze statue of Rousseau, 
a native of Geneva. 

We spent the fourth of July in Geneva. There 
were many American flags floating in the air. The 
American Consul gave a reception in the evening. 

But we had to turn our backs upon romantic Switz- 
erland and push on to Italy. From Geneva we went 



SIMPLON PASS. 211 

back north along beautiful Lake Geneva to Lausanne, 
but did not stop at this place of over 50,000 people, of 
whom 86 per cent, are Reformed. The town has 
a fine marble monument to William Tell. Here Gib- 
bon, the great English historian, resided many years, 
and the house in which he wrote the greater part of his 
famous work, " The Decline and Fall of the Roman 
Empire,'^ is still pointed out. Three-fourths of the 
people speak French. 

After passing Lausanne we turned eastward and 
southward toward Milan. For some distance we rode 
through an agricultural region. The farmers were en- 
gaged in harvesting. As we sped along, we noticed a 
little village high upon a mountain. Why should 
people live so far uphill ? It was an interesting sight. 
We now entered a mountainous region, from which we 
emerged only after we had entered Italy some distance. 

Our route was through the famous Simplon Pass 
over the Alpine mountains, which are 6,594 feet high. 
Napoleon constructed the Simplon Road over the moun- 
tain from Briegin Switzerland to Domodossola in Italy 
in 1800-06 at a cost of over three million dollars. The 
road leads over six hundred bridges. 

We did not pass over these mountains, but rather 
under and through them. From 1898 to 1905 an im- 
mense tunnel was dug through the mountains by Switz- 
erland and Italy. This tunnel is the longest in the 
world, measuring 12 J miles. (The Mont Cenis tunnel 
is 7f and the St. Gotthard tunnel 9 J miles long.) It re- 
quires almost half an hour for a train to pass through. 
The train was drawn through the tunnel by an electric 
engine, which emitted no smoke. The cost of construct- 



212 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

ing this gigantic tunnel was nearly $15,000,000. A 
second tunnel is being dug only 60 feet from the first 
one. There will be communicating passages between 
the two every 670 feet. The construction of this tun- 
nel was a great engineering feat. Work was commenced 
at both ends, and, although the tunnel is over 12 miles 
long, the workmen came together precisely at the right 
place. 

But this is not the only tunnel on this line. Our 
train passed through some twenty five others between 
Lausanne and Milan. More than half the run from 
Isefle to Domodossola was through tunnels and cuttings. 
After emerging from the Simplon Tunnel at Iselle sta- 
tion, the Italian custom officials examined the baggage 
of passengers. 

The completion of the Simplon Tunnel facilitated 
traveling greatly. But man is never satisfied. Eiforts 
are now being made to cross the mountains in still an- 
other manner. On September 23, 1910, a Peruvian 
aviator, George Chavez, undertook to cross the Alps in 
an air ship from Brieg, Switzerland, to Milan, Italy, for 
$20,000, and he actually crossed the mountains. He 
had to rise 7,000 feet in the air and reached Domodos- 
sola, where he was obliged to descend. But when only 
thirty feet from the ground the machine collapsed and 
fell upon Chavez, who was so badly mangled that he 
died on September 27. However, in all probability 
the problem of traveling in the air will yet be solved. 



CHAPTER XIV.—ITALY, 



Milan.— Its Great Cathedral.— Other Churehes.- 

Pisa.— Naples. 



-Genoa. 




E are now in Italy. This country is a 
long peninsula between the Mediterra- 
nean and the Adriatic Seas. It is 710 
miles long, and its breadth varies from 
20 to 230 miles. The average width 
is 90 to 100 miles. Along the coast of 
I "2^Bfc^ *^® Mediterranean the country is moun- 

■ " I— I III ' tainous. On our way from Lausanne 

to Milan we traveled six hours through 
a mountainous region. The construction of the railroad 
must have^been very expensive. Four- fifths of the rail- 
roads in Italy are owned or controlled by the govern- 
ment. Many of the roads could be constructed only as 
national enterprises. Other sections of the country are 
level and fertile. 

Italy was the centre of the Roman empire, the 
greatest ever known, which long included practically 
the whole known world, and the city of Rome was the 
capital of that empire. The northern part of the coun- 
try fails to impress the stranger favorably. There are 
many villages, but the people appear to be poor. As 
one proceeds southward, the appearance of the country 
improves. There is a vast number of mulberry trees 
along the route. The farmers were engaged in hay- 
making, using ox~teams. One of the peculiarities of 
Italian towns is that every village has its bell tower, 
separate from the church. These towers are all square 
in form, Many of them contain four small bells each. 



214 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

which hang under arches in the walls of the belfry, so 
that when they are rung they swing far outside. 

Milan (Milano in Italian) is the first city of im- 
portance along our route. It is next to Naples the most 
populous city in Italy, and the wealthiest manufactur- 
ing place in the country, with a population of nearly 
600,000. It is situated in the fertile plain of Lom- 
bardy . The city is walled on three sides, and there are 
fourteen gates. It is a very old place, having been 
founded by the Celts. During the fourth century it 
was frequently the residence of the Roman emperors, 
especially of Constantine the Great from 324-37, and 
of Theodosius from 379-95, whose edicts in favor of 
Christianity were issued here. 

The chief glory of Milan is its famous and magnifi- 
cent cathedral, which was erected entirely of marble. 
It is next to St. Peter's at Rome the largest church in 
Europe, being 486 feet long and 220 feet wide. It is 
sometimes called the eighth wonder of the world. The 
cathedral covers an area of 14,000 square yards, and 
can hold nearly 40,000 people. The erection was com- 
menced in 1386 on the ground where already two cathe- 
drals had stood, but the work progressed very slowly 
on account of the quarreling of the architects. The 
great building was completed only in 1805-13 by order 
of Napoleon I. The roof, which is supported by 52 pil- 
lars, each 12 feet in diameter, is adorned with 96 pin- 
nacles or turrets, and the exterior is ornamented with 
some 2,000 statues in marble. In these two respects 
the building is absolutely unique. In 1906 there was 
added the great bronze door with reliefs representing 
scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, which is a great 







% 








^^ _ ;C|i 

'r""#"ff,'^'ir 



MILAN. 215 

work of art. The effect of all the adornments is beau- 
tiful, especially in moonlight. 

The interior of the cathedral contains numerous ob- 
jects of interest. In front of the choir, below the 
dome, is the underground chapel of St. Borromeo, which 
is richly adorned with gold and precious stones, and 
contains the tomb of the saint. Whilst we were in the 
building there was a procession of women going down 
into the crypt where the body of Borromeo rests. We 
could look down into the place from a large circular 
opening above. There was much ceremony connected 
with the procession. The tomb is kept lighted con- 
stantly. Borromeo was a truly great and good man. 
Born in 1538 he became the Catholic Archbishop of 
Milan, and was noted for his saintly character and 
simple manners. He was exceedingly unselfish, espe- 
cially for the benefit of the poor. During the famine 
of 1570 and the plague of 1576 he devoted all his re- 
sources to charity. It is said that he sold his furniture 
to purchase food for the poor, and slept on a board. 
Borromeo founded 740 schools with 3,000 teachers and 
40,000 scholars. Catholics and Protestants alike revere 
his memory. In 1569 a miserable wretch shot at him 
as he knelt at prayer in his chapel, but missed his aim. 
The good man died in 1 584. 

The body of Borromeo, who lived in real poverty, 
now rests in great splendor. Some one has said : *' The 
man whoVore the plainest clothing and disregarded all 
ornaments that he might be the better able to relieve 
the poor, now lies inibedded in gold and silver, jewels and 
precious metals." A citizen of Reading, who preceded 
our party, was permitted to see the remains of the noted 



216 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

man. He saw that the bones of his hands are covered 
with jewels. 

One of the transepts of the cathedral contains a 
curious thirteenth' century bronze candelabrum in the 
form of a tree with seven branches. One of the chapels 
contains the wooden crucifix which St. Borromeo car- 
ried about durins: the great plague of 1576. In the 
iron-work gate of one of the chapels there is a small 
cross which people constantly rub and stroke. They 
seem to think there is special virtue in doing this. I 
saw parents lift up their small children to rub the cross. 

Near the centre in this cathedral stands a most 
unique statue, that of the Apostle St, Bartholomew, who 
is represented as having been skinned alive. He is 
carrying his skin rolled lengthwise and flung over his 
shoulder. It is believed that he carried the gospel to 
India. There is a legend that he was skinned alive and 
then crucified at Albanapolis, Armenia. His corpse 
was miraculously conveyed to one of the Lipari islands, 
near the coast of Sicily ; from thence to Benevento in 
southern Italy and A. D. 983 to Rome. St, Bartholo- 
mew's Day is celebrated on August 24. 

We ascended the lofty spire, from which a splendid 
view of the city is afforded. For this privilege we 
paid two fees. First we ascended to the roof of the 
great building, which is made of marb-e slabs, and 
walked over its whole length at its highest point. 
Many visitors walked over the roof whilst Mass was 
being celebrated in the church below. The ascent of 
church and spire was quite a tedious undertaking. 
There are 194 steps to the roof, and 300 steps more 
in the steeple, or nearly 500 in all. But we realized 



THE GREAT CATHEDRAL. 217 

that we might never again go to Milan, and willingly 
bore the fatigue. 

The great cathedral is always open during the day, 
and people come either for worship or sight-seeing all 
the time. Whilst some are kneeling on chairs, with 
their eyes upon a crucifix, others are moving around in 
the building to satisfy their curiosity. Sometimes visi- 
tors almost fall over the worshippers. There is more 
or less formality in many places. Here I observed a 
peculiar phase of it. Near the entrances of lall Cath- 
olic churches are bowls of holy water, into which wor- 
shippers dip their fingers and then cross themselves. 
Here I saw two richly dressed ladies who, after enter- 
ing, instead of going through the regular form, with 
their gloved fingers touched the outside of the bowl and 
then crossed themselves. They had the satisfaction of 
knowing that they had gone through the motions. 

The church of St. Ambrose was founded in the 
fourth century by St. Ambrose, who baptized St. Au- 
gustine here in 387, and in 389 closed the doors of the 
church against Emperor Theodosius after the cruel 
massacre in Thessalonica, and compelled him to do 
penance. Emperor Theodosius, in extenuation of his 
guilt, referred St. Ambrose to the sins of King David. 
St. Ambrose replied : " Thou hast imitated David in 
thy crimes ; imitate him also in thy repentance." The 
wooden door of the church, which is covered with a 
screen, dates from the time of St. Ambrose. The origi- 
nal altar and chair of this saint are also preserved. The 
church in its present form dates probably from the 
twelfth century. To the left of the choir is the tomb 
of Pepin, son of Charlemagne. The crypt under the 
15 



218 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

church contains the bones of St. Ambrose and other 
saints. 

St. Lorenzo's is the oldest church in Milan. It was 
erected about 560, rebuilt after a fire in 1071, and re- 
stored about 1573- Its great age is everywhere appar- 
ent. There are several mortuary chapels from the fifth 
and sixth centuries. 

Near St. Lorenzo's is another interesting relic. On 
the edge of the pavement in front of some very old 
houses stands a row of sixteen Corinthian columns, the 
principal relic of the Middle Ages in the^city. The 
columns were evidently a part of some splendid build- 
ing. They have been much worn with age and some 
had to be braced with iron hoops to prevent them from 
falling to pieces. 

There are a number of monuments in Milan. The 
principal ones are the colossal bronze equestrian statue 
of Victor Emanuel II. in front of the cathedral ; a fine 
equestrian statue of Garibaldi, the famous Italian pa- 
triot ; a statue of Napoleon I. as Roman emperor, and 
a statue of Leonardo da Vinci, a famous Italian painter. 
The Arch of Peace, built of white marble, 1807-38, 
commemorates the campaigns of Napoleon I. 

Milan is an art centre. In several galleries are 
large collections of paintings by da Vinci and his 
pupils, Raphael and several others. 

Santa Maria delle Gracie is the name of a brick 
building of the fifteenth century, richly decorated ex- 
ternally. The church formerly belonged to a monas- 
tery. On a wall of the refectory in this former mon- 
astery is Leonardo da Vinci's famous fresco of the 
Last Supper, which was executed in 1449. This paint- 



GENOA. 219 

ing is known the world over. It represents the Last 
Supper at the point when Jesus said : " One of you 
shall betray me !" The disciples are profoundly affected 
and agitated. This famous paioting is faded a good 
deal. Two copies have been made on other walls of 
the building, which are excellent reproductions. 

The country south of Milan is more of an agricul- 
tural region than the section north of the city. The 
work in the fields is still performed in the ancient fashion 
with the sickle. I saw no grain cradle. 

Our way took us through Pavia, a very oM town 
of 30,000 people. In the cathedral of this place is the 
marble tomb of St. Augustine, ornamented with a large 
number of bas-reliefs and figures. The country be- 
tween Milan and Genoa is quite hilly. 

Lack of time forbade our stopping in the city of 
Genoa (Italian Geneva), the birthplace of Christopher 
Columbus, the discoverer of America, who was born 
here in 1447. This is a place of about 250,000 people. 
Genoa is the principal seaport of Italy, being located on 
the Mediterranean Sea. The city was long a republic, 
and at times powerful, but through the fortunes of war 
it was in turn subject to various nations, until finally it 
was incorporated into the kingdom of Ita-y. There is 
a fine monument of Columbus in the city. Whilst 
Columbus was a native of Italy, it was Spain that sent 
him on his errand, during which he discovered the 
western world. We had a fine view of the splendid 
harbor of Genoa as we passed along. 

The scenery varies a good deal between Genoa and 
Pisa. There are many olive trees along the way, and 
also many vineyards, for grapes are cultivated to a large 



220 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

extent in Italy. There are numerous small towns, 
some of which are located on hill-tops. There are some 
primitive arrangements noticeable in this region. One 
is the old-style wells. Instead of pumps to raise the 
water, there are poles and ropes to do this work. Then 
ox-teams are in general use by the farmer. The country 
is very mountainous all along the road from Milan to 
Pisa. Our train passed through at least seventy-five 
tunnels between the two places. There are some fine 
marble quarries in this region. 

Pisa is widely known, perhaps principally on ac- 
count of its famous Leaning Tower, but it has also an 
interesting and long history. It is a walled city, with 
a citadel . Although located six miles from the Mediter- 
ranean Sea, it was formerly a great port, but the river 
Arno has filled up to such an extent that ships can no 
longer reach the city. In consequence the trade has 
gone elsewhere and Pisa is now a dead place. 

Pisa's history goes back to the second century be- 
fore Christ, when it became subject to the Roman Em- 
pire. The famous Council of Pisa was in session here 
from March to August, 1409. Its purpose was to settle 
the schism which had divided the Roman Church for 
thirty years. At that time there were two rival Popes, 
Gregory XII. and Benedict XIII. The Council was 
attended from first to last by 24 cardinals, 4 patriarchs, 
80 bishops, 102 proctors of bishops, 87 abbots, 200 
delegates of abbots, besides many representatives of 
orders, doctors, deputies of universities and ambassa- 
dors. Both Popes were summoned before the Council, 
but neither one appeared. The Council therefore un- 
dertook to depose them, and the cardinals present elected 



PISA. 221 

CardiDal Philargi as Pope. But instead of getting rid 
of the two rivals it turned out that the Council had 
only added a third, and the Church continued to be dis- 
turbed eight years longer until the time of the Council 
of Constance. 

The most important building in Pisa is the old 
cathedral, which was erected between 1063 and 1118. 
It is 311 feet long, 252 wide and 109 high. There is 
a beautiful dome with fine paintings. At the time of 
our visit there were nearly as many priests and other 
gowned persons in the cathedral as other worshippers. 
In the front of the church are four rows of pilasters 
and arches, one above the other, composing a fine facade, 
and elaborate bronze doors, dating from 1606. Inside 
there are 6S antique columns, which were captured in 
war by the Pisans. Among the paintings are a Ma- 
donna, St. Peter, St. John, Abraham's Sacrifice and the 
Entombment. 

Immediately west of the cathedral is another large 
circular building, the Baptistry, begun in 1163, but not 
completed until after 1278, with Gothic additions in 
the fourteenth century. The building, which is entirely 
of marble, contains the famous pulpit by Pisano, hexa- 
gonal in form, and supported by seven columns. The 
large octagonal baptismal font dates from 1246. There 
is a remarkable echo in this building. 

East of the Cathedral stands the famous Leaning 
Tower. This is a round marble campanile or bell tower, 
180 feet high. It was erected in 1174-1350. The 
uppermost of its eight stories, which is smaller than 
the others, contains the bells. The exterior is encircled 
with rows of columns and on this account reminds one 



222 



RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 



of the pictures of the Tower of Babel. The most in- 
teresting thing about this structure is the fact that it 
inclines fourteen feet out of the perpendicular. It be- 
gan to lean when the third story had been completed, 
the foundation on one side haviug given way. Singu- 
larly its erection was proceeded with and in this condi- 
tian the tower has stood hundreds of years. There are 
seven bells in the upper story, and these haug near the 
edge of the walls, so that when rung they swing out far 

beyond the walls, as is 
the case with most bell- 
towers in Italy. Ascend- 
ing the 301 steps to the 
top of the tower, we found 
to be no small task, but 
the beautiful view over 
the city repaid us for the 
eifort. It seems strange 
that the Leaning Tower 
should not fall over. 
Since our visit we read 
in a paper that the incli- 
nation had increased, and 
that the ringing of the bells had been forbidden. This 
is not the only leaning tower. There are two in Bo- 
logna; in fact, there is a second, but uninteresting one 
in Pisa itself. 

Gralileo, the famous scientist and astronomer, was 
born in Pisa Feb. 18, 1564. In 1581, whilst a student 
in the University of Pisa, he one day made an obser- 
vation in the cathedral which led him to an important 
discovery. He watched the swinging of a bronze lamp 




LEANING TOWEPv. 



PISA. 223 

and uoticed that the swinging, no matter what its range^ 
was always accomplished in equal time. This discovery 
was later helpful to him in the construction of an 
astronomical clock. He also discovered that in a 
vacuum all falling bodies, whether large or small, de- 
scend with equal velocity. He tested this theory by 
means of experiments from the top of the Leaning 
Tower. He was then one of the professors in the uni- 
versity, but his discoveries aroused such opposition that 
he resigned and withdrew to Florence. 

Galileo also declared his adherence to the Coper- 
nican theory— that the sun is the centre of the solar 
system, and that the earth and planets revolve round it. 
As a result he was brought before the Inquisition and 
condemned to recant upon his knees the truth of his 
scientific theories that the earth moves, etc. The story 
goes that he did recant as a matter of compulsion, but 
at the conclusion exclaimed : " Nevertheless it does 
move.^^ It is stated that Galileo was now tortured, and 
condemned to the dungeon of the Inquisition. He died 
in 1642. 

In 1203 a national cemetery was started at Pisa in 
a peculiar manner. Fifty -three shiploads of earth were 
brought from Jerusalem for this purpose. In 1270-83 
Giovanni Pisano surrounded the ground with cloisters, 
the walls of which are adorned with numerous fresco 
paintings by several artists of the fourteenth century. 
The place is no longer used for the original purpose. 
It is now known as " Campo Santo." The building is 
in the form of an open square. Some of the wall 
paintings admonish us of the power and solemnity of 
death. Others depict more cheerful scenes from the 



224 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

New Testament. One of these paintings represents the 
Triumph of Death, which terrifies mortals addicted to 
worldly enjoyments, but passes by the poor and miser- 
able who would welcome his coming. An equestrian 
party, who are on their way to the chase, are suddenly 
reminded by three open coffins of the fleeting nature of 
earthly pleasures. Next comes the Last Judgment and 
Hell. Another painting [represents the history of the 
Creation and the Fall of Man, etc. There is also a large 
collection of ancient sarcophagi and sculptures, and 
mediaeval and modern tombstones in this place. 

Naples (Napoli in Italian, Neapel in German) is 
the most populous city in Italy, having about 600,000 
inhabitants Most charmingly situated on the Medi- 
terranean Sea, it is three miles long by two wide. It 
is a city of strong contrasts. Some parts are very 
beautiful, but others are just the reverse. The rich 
live in palatial residences ; the poor in hovels. On ac- 
count of its beautiful situation and its bracing climate, 
the citizens are foud ^of repeating the saying : " See 
Naples and then die." But I cannot see why one should 
especially wish to die after having seen Naples, Unless 
it be from disgust over some of the scenes of misery 
and degradation to be witnessed in the city. Our party 
wandered through certain quarters inhabited by the 
poor, which impressed us with sadness. The streets 
are very narrow and extremely filthy. No ray of sun- 
shine ever penetrates some of these streets which are 
crowded with the poor. Many people work, eat and 
sleep in the same room. Women were sewing under 
the doors, because their rooms are dark. Yards are 
practically unknown. Here these poverty-stricken 



NAPLES. 225 

people spend their miserable lives until death removes 
them. The great wonder is that pestilence does not 
depopulate such districts. In 1884 cholera carried off 
many thousands. In one night two thousand persons 
fell ill and one thousand of them died. Since then 
efforts have been made to purify the city and introduce 
better sanitary conditions, but much remains to be done. 

Naples is of Greek origin. The Romans conquered 
it in B. C. 326. Later Naples became a famous resort 
for the Roman aristocracy. The city passed through 
many stormy experiences, and during the centuries was 
subject to various rulers. In more modern times it 
was alternately controlled by Spain, Austria and France. 
In 1860 the triumph of Garibaldi, the Italian patriot, 
resulted in the city's annexation to the kingdom of 
Italy, and since then it has enjoyed peace. 

The people of Naples are bright, gay and lively, 
and are said to be careless and easy-going. They are 
certainly a noisy crowd. From morning to night the 
streets resound with the rattle of vehicles, the cracking 
of whips, the shouts of drivers and the cries of vendors 
of all kinds of articles. There is hardly an end to the 
noise. Some one has said that Naples never goes to bed. 
Before the noise and din of one day has subsided that 
of the following day commences. Strangers are con- 
stantly besieged by swarms of hawkers and guides. It 
is remarkable how many able-bodied men are in the 
streets selling postal cards. A stranger cannot go into 
a street without being at once confronted by one of these 
gentry. Telling him half a dozen times that you do 
not want his goods has little effect. He will walk by 
your side half a square and hold his cards before you. 



226 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Harsh words are about the only means to rid oneself of 
these persons. You experience the same trouble with 
others who want to guide you around the city. Either 
these men are too lazy to work or there must be a la- 
mentable Jack of employment. 

There are a number of wide, busy streets. Of these 
the Via Roma is the principal one. There is no end 
to carts drawn by mules and oxen. Horses and four- 
wheeled wagons are seldom seen. The streets are level 
and very heavy loads are dragged through the city. 
The view along the bay front is beautiful. There is an 
excellent outlook upon the sea, and many of the most 
elaborate buildings are located along the beach. 

One of the most interesting places in the city is 
the magnificent National Museum. The building was 
erected in 1586 as a barracks. After 1615 it was occu- 
pied by the university, and in 1790 it was fitted up for 
the royal collection of antiquites and paintings, to 
which have been added the treasures excavated at 
Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae, cities overwhelmed 
by eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius. This museum is one 
of the finest in the world. The antiquities and works 
of art from the cities named are unrivalled. Many of 
the finest frescos of Pompeii were brought here. An 
object of special interest is the famous Mosaic of the 
Battle of Alexander at Issus, which was found in the 
House of the Faun at Pompeii in 1831. This is a mar- 
vellous piece of art. There are many pieces of bronze 
statuary from Herculaneum. The National Library 
division contains 380,000 volumes and about 8,000 
manuscripts. 

Naples has upwards of three hundred churches. 
Some were founded 600 to 800 years ago. The most 



NAPLES. 227 

interesting one is the cathedral of St. Januarius. It 
was built in 1294-1323, and several times restored and 
altered since the great earthquake of 1456. The cen- 
tral door dates from 1407. The principal attraction is 
the chapel of St. Januarius, built in 1608-37, at the 
cost of over a million dollars. The cathedral contains 
seven altars, 42 columns, and a valuable treasury. In 
the tabernacle of the chief altar are two vessels contain- 
ing some of the blood of St. Januarius, Bishop of Bene- 
vento, who suffered martyrdom under Diocletian in 
305. He was beheaded near Puteoli. The storv is that 
the blood liquefies three times each year — in May, Sep- 
tember and December. The liquefaction occurred for 
the first time when the saint's body was brought to 
Naples in the time of Constantine. According as the 
liquefaction is rapid or slow, it is a good or evil omen 
for the year. This is the Roman story, and I suppose 
many Catholics believe it. We were shown the exact 
place where the two vessels with the blood are de- 
posited. The tomb of St. Januarius is richly orna- 
mented. It is right under the high altar. In the 
church are a number of fine Corinthian columns, said 
to have belonged to a temple of Apollo which stood at 
the same place as the cathedral. 

The ceremony connected with the liquefaction of St. 
Januarius' blood was observed on September 19, 1910, 
in the presence of a large crowd. The vessels contain- 
ing the blood were placed upon the altar, after which 
the priests prayed 55 minutes, and then a miracle was 
performed — the blood assumed a liquid form and flowed. 
At the above date cholera prevailed in Naples. The 
fact that the blood flowed freely was taken as an omen 



228 RAMBLES IN EUEOPE. 

that the cholera would soon cease. It is claimed that 
at the martyrdom of St. Januarius a poor woman gath- 
ered his blood from the ground into two small bottles. 

We had a rather awkward experience whilst inspect- 
ing the cathedral. The building was closed when we 
arrived. A ring of the bell at the adjoining building 
brought a boy of about twelve years to the door, who 
agreed to open the church door for us for one lira (20 
cents). He locked the door after our entrance and 
showed us around. When we were ready to go and the 
boy was offered his lira, he shook his head and said : 
" Two lira." Reminding him of his contract helped 
nothing. He continued firm in his demand for a double 
fee, and gained his point. The youngster has already 
learned the Italian art of fleecing travelers. 

The church of San Domenico Maggiore contains 45 
coffins covered with velvet. Ten of these contain the 
remains of princes of the house of Aragon. 

There are many very poor people in Naples. We 
saw many needy people of advanced years. There were 
some old men and women sleeping in the day timte on 
church steps. Many women were without hats and 
went barefooted. I saw a young man asleep leaning 
against a church. Numerous barefooted men, women 
children were in the streets. All of them were very 
untidy. The children were ragged. I am not sur- 
prised that so many industrious Italians come to the 
United States where wag8s are good. It seems to me 
that Naples could easily spare 50,000 of its adult pop- 
ulation to earn their living elsewhere, ilt home many 
have a miserable existence. 

Among the street scenes of Naples was that of a 
cart drawn by a horse, a donkey and a cow. 



CHAPTER XV.— ITALY (Continued). 




Pompeii.— Mt. Vesuvius.— Florence.— Its Art Galleries. 
Venice, the City of Canals and Islands. 

HE site of the buried city of Pompeii is 
fifteen miles southeast of Naples. We 
reached it by the Circumvesuviana 
trolly Hue. Our party was under the 
escort of a competent and obliging 
guide from the firm of Thomas Cook & 
Son. Five years ago, in 1906, a por- 
tion of the trolly roadbed was swept 
away by a stream of lava from the crater of Mt. Ve- 
suvius. 

Pompeii was once a flourishing town with 20-30,000 
people. About the year 290 before Christ the people 
became subjects of the Roman empire. In the year 63 
after Christ a fearful earthquake destroyed the town, 
but it was rebuilt in the Roman style. It was then a 
splendid place, with many fine houses, large theatres 
and a number of heathen temples. But now, before 
the new town had been completed, it was overtaken by 
a new catastrophe which blotted the place oui; of exist- 
ence. In the year 79 after Christ a violent eruption 
of Mt. Vesuvius, more than five miles away, covered 
the whole town with pumice stone and ashes to the 
depth of 10 to 16 feet. Most of the people succeeded 
in epcaping with their lives, and afterwards came back 
to recover whatever they could. This covering of ashes 
was gradually increased to 20 feet in depth by subse- 
quent eruptions of Vesuvius, and for centuries the exist- 
ence of Pompeii was entirely forgotten. But the ashes 



230 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

partially preserved the bodies of the people who were 
killed, as well as their houses. 

The destruction of Pompeii was somewhat similar to 
that of Sodom and Gomorrah, only that Pompeii was de- 
stroyed by ashes instead of by fire. It is believed that 
the people who perished were those who had at first 
escaped, but then came back to take their valuables with 
them. Since our visit the skeleton of a man was dug 
out at Pompeii with fifty pieces of money in his hand. 
We are reminded of Lot's wife. Then it is stated that 
many of the gay citizens of Rome spent much of their 
time at Pompeii in dissipation. The place is repre- 
sented as having been a sort of Atlantic City for the 
Romans. Immorality prevailed to a large degree. 

Pompeii continued to be unknown until 1748, when 
some accidental discoveries were made. In 1860 the 
Italian government undertook the work of excavating 
the buried town, and the work has since proceeded in a 
scientific way. Many of the objects dug out are now 
to be seen in the National Museum at Naples corpses, 
statues, a great variety of household articles, frescoes 
from the walls, pillars and other evidences which show 
the splendor of the doomed city. The excavations are 
still going forward. 

We spent fully two hours in inspecting the ruins 
under the direction of our guide. Pompeii was a regu- 
larly laid out town. The streets are narrow, nearly all 
paved with lava blocks. In some of them deep grooves 
were worn into the stones by wagons. The pavements 
are also narrow. The street crossings consist of raised 
stones, so that people could pass over without soiling 
their shoes. Many houses had only one story, and as 



POMPEII. 231 

a rule were small. Others were two-storied. The 
upper floor was usually occupied by slaves. There were 
numerous water troughs along the streets, and in the 
houses the ruins of many bake ovens were to be seen. 
The walls of the city are well preserved. Nearly all 
of the houses are erected of concrete — small stones 
mixed with cement. Bricks and hewn stones were used 
for door-posts, corners, etc. There were many wall- 
paintings. The best- preserved have been removed to 
Naples. The pictures are largely mythological subjects. 

There is a small museum in the town which contains 
many exhumed objects — skulls, skeletons, terra cotta, 
bronze vessels, etc. There is the body of a young girl 
with a ring on her finger ; an elderly and a young 
woman ; a man lying on his face ; a man lying on his 
left side, with well- preserved features. It is wonderful 
how well many of these objects have been preserved. 

I can mention only a few of the public buildings, such 
as : Temple of Apollo, with its altar in a good state of 
preservation, and with copies of original statues of Mer- 
cury, Apollo, Diana, etc., now in the Museum at Naples ; 
Forum, which was the principal public square ; Temple 
of Jupiter, withjtriumphal arches on both sides ; Marcel- 
lum, a provision market, with eleven stalls still in posi- 
tion ; Barracks for Gladiators, where sixty-three bodies 
were found ; Great Theatre, with 5,000 seats ; Small 
Theatre, accommodating 1,500 people, and a large Bath 
House. 

Of residences mention might be made of the House 
of the Faun, so called after a small statue of the Faun 
(a heathen god of the field) which was found here. It 
was in this magnificent dwelling that the famous mosaic 



232 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

of the Battle of Alexander, now kept in the Naples 
museum, was found. 

The House of the Tragic Poet, at the entrance of 
which there is a watch dog in mosaic, with the caution ; 
" Cave Canem " (Beware of the Dog). 

Drinking places were not wanting in Pompeii. 
Among the riiins are those of a tavern. The pictures 
on the wall allude to drinking — a wagon with a'^ wine- 
skin, players and drinkers ; in a corner a soldier is be- 
ing served with drinks. Above the place is a sign 
with the words : " Add cold water." 

On the outside of the wall is the Street of Tombs, 
along which burials were made. The custom was to 
bury along the roadsides, the same as at Rome. Some 
of the tombs are large. 

Near the tomb of Diomedes was his fine residence. 
Beneath it was a vaulted cellar. Eighteen bodies of 
women and children were found in this vault. They 
had provided themselves with food and sought refuge 
here. The owner was found near the garden door^ with 
a key in his hand, and beside him a slave with money 
and valuables. 

One of the objective points of our tour was Mt. 
Vesuvius, the ^' fire-spitting " mountain near Naples, 
Italy. This is one of the most famous volcanoes in the 
world. The mountain is over four thousand feet high, 
and rather difficult to ascend. It has been active at 
various times, when it belched forth liquid fire which 
ran down its steep slopes and carried destruction and 
death to the villages for miles around its base. The 
first serious activity of Mt. Vesuvius, recorded in his- 
tory, occurred in the year 63. It came in the form of 



MT. VESUVIUS. 233 

^n earthquake. The greatest and most destructive 
eruption took place in tbe year 79, when the cities of 
Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae were entirely^de- 
stroyed and buried. Pompeii was buried with ashes 
and was completely forgotten until 1592, when traces 
of it were discovered. Excavations were carried on at 
various times with little success until 1860, when the 
Italian government undertook the work and; since then 
uncovered the walls of almost the whole city. Hercu- 
laneum was buried to the depth of 40 to 100 feet by 
liquid lava, which became very hard. The villages of 
Portici and Resina, now suburbs of Naples, have been 
erected on the site of this buried city, so that it will 
never be exhumed. The site of Stabiae is now occupied 
by the town of Castellammare with 24,000 inhabitants, 
situated on the Mediterranean Sea. 

There have been numerous eruptions of Mt. Vesu- 
vius since 79, the most notable of which are those of 
472, when its ashes were carried as far as Constanti- 
nople; in 512, when they were wafted to Tripoli ; ia 
1631, when the mountain sides were denuded of their 
forest growth by the liquid fire; 1793, when a stream 
of lava, 12 to 40 feet thick, swept over Torre del Greco 
and penetrated the sea to a distance of 380 feet, by 
which time the stream was 1,200 feet wide and 15 feet 
high. It required only six hours for the stream of fire 
to travel from the crater to the sea, a distance of four 
miles. It is strange that people should insist upon 
living in this place of danger. The town of Torre del 
Greco was destroyed four times by lava streams — in 
1631, 1737, 1794 and 1861— but always rebuilt, and 
aow has 35,000 inhabitants. In 1822 the smoke from 
16 



234 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the crater rose 10,000 feet into the air, accompaDied by 
flashes of lightning and torrents of hot water, which 
flooded the villages of St. Sebastiano and Massa. Later 
severe and disastrous eruptions occurred in 1855, 1861, 
1871. The last disaster occurred on April 7-10, 1906, 
when several small villages were destroyed or damaged. 
In one place the people flocked into their church to pray 
for deliverance, when the church was struck by a stream 
of lava and four hundred persons were killed. 

The great question was, how to ascend Mt. Vesu- 
vius ? In London we had been informed that a trolly 
road had been built to the top, but we found that the 
road extended only part way up to the crater. A few days 
before reaching Naples we were [told that the volcano 
had once more become active, which would have pre- 
cluded the ascent. Fortunately this statement was also 
false. At Naples we boarded a trolly car and rode to 
a village near the base of the mountain. On the way 
we passed over a wide bed of lava which flowed down 
the mountain, carried away the trolly bed and destroyed 
the church mentioned above. We contracted with a 
licensed guide to take our party of four up to the crater 
and back for forty francs ($8.00). This was to include 
all fees, and there were to be no extras. After a short 
ride in carriages we were given horses and proceeded 
on our journey up the mountain. Horseback riding 
was a new and novel thing for me, since I had, to my 
recollection, been on horseback only once since my boy- 
hood days. 

Our road for some distance led us along vineyards. 
The soil appeared to be poor, but the vines were full of 
large bunches of grapes. Soon we struck lava beds 



MT. VESUVIUS. 235 

which cx)ntinued all the way up. The ascent began to 
be steep and we proceeded at times in a zigzag way. 
Soon all vegetation around us had disappeared and 
nothing but lava remained. However, at some places 
many pine trees had been planted in regular rows in the 
lava. It is remarkable that anything should thrive 
here, but these trees are growing. It is marvellous 
what immense masses of this black matter have been 
emitted from the bowels of the earth. Generally the 
surface of the beds is rocky, and we had a good idea of 
the fiery stream that flowed down the mountain side. 
At many places there is only a bridle path that leads 
upward. At some points the path is at the edge of a 
steep precipice. If my good horse Garibaldi had not 
been a sure-footed animal, I fear I should not be here 
to pen these lines. 

As we proceeded up the hill the view over the coun- 
try and villages below us became grander and grander. 
Below us everything was green and beautiful. Around 
us was nothing but black lava, which covers many 
square miles. Our faces were set toward the smoking 
crater and we pressed on. We continued our upward 
journey until we reached the point beyond which horses 
cannot go. Our poor animals appeared to be glad, for 
we had no sooner dismounted than Rev. Mr. Moyer's 
horse rolled himself in the loose lava with the saddle 
on his back. 

What now ? Our untruthful guide had assured us 
that from here it was only about a hundred feet to the 
crater, but it was at least an eighth of a mile, if not 
more. The upward grade was very steep. We must 
go up on foot, or perhaps on hands and feet. The task 



236 KAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

looked very formidable. But up we must go. This is 
what we came for. It was simply a question of now 
or never. And there was no time to be lost ; it was 
already late in the afternoon. Our guide started first 
of all, aud left us to get up as best we could. 

With fresh courage we started off. Unfortunately 
the lava here is fine and loose, so that we constantly 
slipped back. There are alvvays men there to assist 
tourists up the hill — of course for pay. Soon after I 
had started one of these stepped before me and told me 
to take hold of a strap which hung over his shoulder. 
He wore hob-nail shoes, and carried a staff with a sharp 
point. I declined his offer and brushed him away. He 
knew better than I, and assured me that I could not 
get up unassisted. After awhile I was glad to accept 
his services and agreed to pay him five france ($1.00) to 
pull me up and bring me down safely. After proceed- 
ing a short distance another man began to push at me. 
I forbade him, telling him I had all the help I needed. 
But soon I found it wise to aocept his help also for two 
francs. Now we proceeded up the steep hill — one man 
pulling and the other pushing me. I was passive. All 
I needed to do was to hold on to the strap in front of 
of me and keep on my feet. The men did the really 
hard work. Of course we had to stop often to recover 
our breath. 

Finally we reached the top. And what a sight ! 
We looked down into the crater, which is circular in 
form and said to be one-third of a mile in diameter. A 
constant volume of steam and smoke arises out of it. 
The edge of the crater is quite pointed. The lava is 
loose and parts of it at the edge are constantly rolling 



MT. VESUVIUS. 237 

down into the fearful abyss. The place is really danger- 
ous. What if the lava under our feet should give way ? 
We should have slipped into the mouth of the volcano 
and perished. My guide all the time held me firmly 
by the arm. At various points we saw large lumps of 
lava and stones rolling down into the crater with a great 
noise. And what if the volcano had suddenly become 
active? We should have perished. In 1871 twenty 
spectators were there, when it became active, and these 
people were killed on the spot. But such risks must be 
taken, if people would see this great wonder. 

We could not look far down into the immense hole 
on account of the steam arising out of it. It is evident 
that way down in the earth there is a sea of fire. Even 
the lava under our feet was too hot to be held in the 
hand. However, I pocketed a small piece and brought 
it home. Not only lava, but various kinds of minerals 
come out of the earth through the crater. A professor 
of the University of Naples counts forty such speci- 
mens, including iron and mica. 

But what an enchanting view from the top of Mt. 
Vesuvius ! The grandeur of the view over the coun- 
try, the numerous villages and the bay of Naples can- 
not be adequately described. Among the prominent 
objects seen in the villages are the churches. Not many 
miles away we saw the site of Pompeii which was de- 
stroyed by this volcano in the year 79. Everything 
before us was green except the foundations of the ill- 
fated city. 

After feasting our eyes for some time on the out- 
look we began the descent. There was danger even in 
this. The question was in what posture we should go 



238 K AMBLES IN EUROPE. 

down — walking or rolling. My assistant took firm 
hold of my arm and we came down safely, and far 
more quickly than we had gone up. We had hardly 
started downward before my assistant asked for an 
additional fee, and I gave him an extra franc. I 
was the first of our party to reach the horses. I quickly 
mounted my Garibaldi and rode off. This I did because 
I am a poor rider and knew that the others would soon 
overtake me. But they lingered a good while, and I 
was soon out of their sight. Presently a feeling of fear 
came over me, I felt that possibly my companions were 
being robbed })y the Italians. Then again I felt that 
I might be robbed by the one who accompanied me. 
For instead of one guide three insisted upon going 
with us I halted, but could see neither of my com- 
panions because of the winding of the path. But soon 
I saw dust in the air at three different points, and knew 
that the others were coming. Presently they caught 
up with me, and we made the balance of the descent 
together. It took us 2J hours to go up to the crater, 
and two hours to come down. 

As we entered the village where we had started on 
horseback, children held out their hands to us for 
money. They have early learned to profit by the 
tourists. Because there were three guides instead of 
one, who had gone up the mountain with us, we volun- 
tarily agreed to give the principal fifty francs instead 
of forty, as per contract, with the understanding that 
he share with the others. This he readily agreed to. 
When we dismounted a number of others were ready 
to assist us. One held my tired horse, who was in no 
danger of running away, whilst another helped me to 



FLORENCE. 239 

get off. Of course each one looked for a fee. We ap- 
pealed to the boss, and he waved them away. Each 
one of our party had about the same experience here. 
We got into the carriages and drove to the trolley sta- 
tion, half a mile away. But we had hardly reached 
the place, when about a dozen of these greedy persons 
came running after us to get more fees from us. For- 
tunately for us there was a military officer there, who 
gave them a sound scolding and drove them back. 

Florence was the political capital of Italy from 
1865 to 1871. In the latter year King Victor Emman- 
uel, the unifier of Italy, transferred the seat of govern- 
ment to Rome. The Italians call it Firenze. It is an 
interesting city and noted especially for its art treasures. 
Its population is over 150,000. The city is situated on 
both sides of the river Arno. It is famous not only for 
its splendid art galleries, but also for its many historical 
associations. 

Florence has long been one of the foremost cities of 
Italy. Its history goes back beyond the Christian era, 
and is largely similar to that of most European cities — 
many wars and frequent changes of goverment. Dur- 
ing the Middle Ages Florence was long ruled by the 
Medici family. In 1492 a republic was established, 
largely through the leadership of the famous Dominican 
monk Savonarola. But the Medici regained possession 
of the government in 1512, Savonarola having been 
burned at the stake in 1498. They were again driven 
out in 1527, but in 1530 Charles Y. reinstated them. 
The brilliant and prosperous reign of this distinguished 
family came to an end in 1737. From 1801 to 1814 
Florence was under the domination of Napoleon. 



240 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Finally in 1860 Tuscany was united with Italy. In 
1348 the pestilence known as Black Death carried off 
100,000 Florentines. 

Florence is a very religious city after its fashion. 
There are nearly 200 churches, which is a large number 
for the population. The principal church is the cathe- 
dral, whose foundations were laid in 1298. The build- 
ing was fully completed only in 1887, which event was 
celebrated with great pomp. Many architects were em- 
ployed in erecting the great church. In 1366 twenty- 
four such were thus engaged. It is stated that the 
grand dome was so admired by Michael Angelo that he 
used it as a model for the dome of St. Peter's at Rome. 
The building contains numerous statues by various 
artists, including one of Michael Angelo. The dome 
if 300 feet high, 463 steps leading to its upper gallery. 
The building is 555 feet long and 342 feet wide, and its 
exterior is covered with marble of various colors. 

In front of the cathedral is the famous Campanile 
or Bell Tower, probably the finest of its kind in Italy.. 
It is 275 feet high; 414 steps lead to its top, from 
which one is afforded a splendid view of the city and 
surrounding country. The walls of the tower are en- 
cased with marbie of various colors, like those of the 
cathedral, and richly adorned with sculpture. 

Near the tower is the baptistry, an old octagonal 
building, the walls of which, like those of the cathedral 
and campanile, are also covered with colored marble. 

The Church of Santa Croce, the pantheon of Flor- 
ence, erected in 1294, contains monuments to Galileo 
(see page 222), Dante, Michael Angelo and others. 
The tomb of Michael Angelo is near the altar. This 



FLORENCE. 241 

church has a peculiar roof, whose rafters are exposed, 
the only one of its kind I saw during our journey. In 
front of the building stands a large statue of Dante, the 
famous Italian poet. 

The Church of St. Lorenzo was dedicated as early 
as 393 by St. Ambrose, but rebuilt later. Connected 
with this church are two buildings known as the 
Chapels of the Medici. There are a number of famous 
statues here, including those representing Day and 
Night, and Evening and Dawn. 

One of the most interesting places in Florence is 
the former monastery of St. Mark, now occupied as a 
museum. The cells of the monks are preserved. There 
are a number of fine paintings in the halls. We were 
chiefly interested in the cells of Jerome Savonarola, that 
famous good man. He was born in 1452 of a noble 
family. In 1474 he became a Dominican monk, and 
preached his first sermon in Florence in 1482. Savon- 
arola denounced vice and sin unsparingly. On this 
account he came into conflict with the government of 
the Medici family. A genuine and zealous reformer, 
he was the foremost leader of the movement which re- 
sulted in the establishment of a republic in 1492, which 
was made a Christian commonwealth. The most 
stringent laws against vice were enacted. The follies 
of the women in reference to dress were suppressed. 
Many women brought their ornaments to a public place, 
where a huge bonfire was made of them. 

In his zeal Savonarola spared no one, not even the 
Pope. In 1495 he was cited to Rome to be tried for 
heresy. He refused to appear and was forbidden to 
preach. He was offered the position of a cardinal, if 



242 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

he would change his style of preachiug, but he refused, 
and was once more forbidden to preach. Savonarola 
now began to have trouble at home. The republic was 
waning and the Medici party was gaining ground, and 
at the same time the bold reformer was excommuni- 
cated by E-ome. During the plague he ministered to 
the stricken monks. In 1498 the Medici once more 
came into^power, and Savonarola was condemned to 
death. He was strangled with two other monks and 
their bodies burned on May 23, 1498. 

Savonarola had occupied three cells in the monas- 
tery. They remain as they were in his time. There 
are the oris^inal chairs and books ; a picture of his burn- 
ing in front of the present city hall ; a string of beads, a 
crucifix, a portrait and a bronze bust of the good man. 
There are pictures in all the numerous cells, mostly of 
the Crucifixion. The library in the building contains 
numerous large illustrated books produced by the monks 
for use in Catholic churches. These indicate great 
artistic skill and patience on the part of the friars. 
There are beautiful wall paintings on the outside of the 
building facing the open court. It is wonderful how 
well- preserved these are. These monks no doubt were 
sincere people. They rendered the Church and the 
cause of truth great services in a way, but it was un- 
doubtedly an error for them to seclude themselves from 
the world. 

Another interesting building in Florence is the City 
Hall, originally the Palace Vecchio. This is a large 
building, with a tower 260 feet high. Its great bell in 
former times was used to warn citizens of danger or to 
summon them for defence. In front of this building 



FLORENCE. 243 

Savonarola and his two companions were burned. In 
one of its halls stands a colossal statue of the great 
martyr, only a short distance from the spot where he 
was executed. At the entrance to the building stands 
a large statue of David. In the private Chapel of the 
Medici we find a large fresco representing a brilliant 
hunting calvacade of the Medici. Near the city hall 
is an open square with many fine statues, and nearby is 
an arcade in which are found numerous groups of 
sculpture. 

Florence is noted for its large collection of art treas- 
ures. These are contained in two galleries named Uffizi 
and Pitti. In these we found an immense collection of 
fine paintings,^ engravings, sculptures, bronzes, coins, 
gems and mosaics. These collections of art are excelled 
by few others in the world. As we enter the Uffizi 
Gallery we are confronted by a colossal statue of 
David by Michael Angelo, hewn by this noted astist in 
1501-1503, when in his 26th year, out of a gigantic 
block of marble. In these two galleries, as in most 
others, we found a large number of Madonnas. The 
mother of Christ is a favorite subject with artists, as is 
that of the Crucifixion. Of the many paintings of great 
beauty and superior merit, we were interested especially 
in those representing the Adoration of the Magi, the 
Descent from the Cross, the Adoration of the Shepherds, 
the Baptism of Jesus, the Last Judgment, etc. The two 
galleries are located on opposite sides of the river, and 
are connected by a long closed passage, both sides of 
which are covered with portraits of prominent people. 

An interesting sight in Florence is its quaint old 
bridges across ^ the river Arno. One — the Ponte Vec- 



244 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

chio — is specially curious, being entirely unlike any 
other I have ever seen. The central part is simply a 
continuation of a street. Both sides fronting the street 
are lined with shops, largely jewelry stores, whilst the 
outsides of the bridge are turned into a number of 
dwellings. These latter seem to hang to the bridge. 
The whole presents a most singular sight, and must be 
seen to be fully appreciated. This bridge is one of the 
busiest parts of the city. It is a very old structure, 
having been erected in 1345 to replace an older one. 
The waters of the Arno are very muddy. On one side 
of the stream there is a street between the water and 
the buildings, whilst on the other side the buildings run 
down into the water. 

As a rule the streets are very narrow, barely wide 
enough for two vehicles to pass each other, and the 
pavements still more so. Most people walk in the 
streets. In those streets occupied by trolly lines walk- 
ing is attended with a good deal of danger. 

The older part of the city centres about the cathe- 
dral, but this part has been greatly moderniz^ed since 
1888. A short distance southwest of the cathedral is 
the Victor Emmanuel Place, with a large statue of the 
late king on horseback. On the west is a huge archway 
as the entrance to a street. 

Florence was the home of many famous Italians. 
Among them was Galileo, the noted astronomer, who on 
account of proclaiming his new discoveries in the starry 
heavens was declared a heretic and subjected to severe 
sufferings. His theories are now universally acknowl- 
edged. Another was Dante, the famous poet, who was 
born here in 1265, but had to spend the greater part of 



9 Ah 
VENICE. ^^^ 



his life in exile. He died in 1321 in Ravenna, where 
be was buried. Another celebrity of this city was 
Florence Nightingale, the famous and ""^f ff ,,"7^' 
who was known as the « angel of the battlefield. The 
noble woman, who devoted her life to *« aeviation of 
suffering in hospitals and on the battlefield djed ou 
August 14, 1910, aged 90 years. She was of Enghsh 



descent 



descent. , ^ , • .«^„ 

The country between Florence and Bologna is very 
mountainous, and the railroad leads through some 
thirty tunnels under the Appenines. Afterwards we 
passed through a fruitful agricultural region. 

Venice (Venezia in Italian and Venedig m (:rer- 
man) is a most unique city. It is situated in the north- 
eastern corner of Italy, on the western shore of the 
Adriatic, in the Lagoon. The saying of Erasmus tha,t 
"the people of Amsterdam are dwelling on tree tops 
applies with greater force to the people of Venice for 
their city is built on piles on 117 small islands, which 
are intersected by over 150 canals, and these canals are 
crossed by 378 bridges, mostly of stone. Instead of 
streets there are canals throughout the city, and instead 
of vehicles boats are employed for travel and trade. 
On some of the islands there are numerous small lanes, 
some of which are only five feet wide. Venice is ab- 
solutelv- a horseless city. There is no such thing as 
hiring a carriags or automobile, for these thinge are un- 
known there. When a person leaves his house to go 
anywhere he steps into a gondola (small boat) and travels 
by water. The steps from the houses lead right down 

into the water. . i j j 

The city is situated 2^ miles from the mainland and 

the approrch to it leads over wide sheets of water. 



246 



KAMBLES IN EUKOPE. 



After leaving the station we boarded a steamboat and 
rode over the Grand Canal to St. Mark's Place. This 
canal runs through the centre of the city, and a ride on 
it affords a good view of the place. There are many 
large and important buildings along the route. The 
Grand Canal is 2J miles long, with an average width 
of 220 feet and a depth of 16 feet. In its windings it 
forms the letter S. Of the hundreds of Venetian 




THE MALTO, VENICE. 

bridges the principal one is the Rialto, which is located 
in the centre of the city. This is a marble structure 
with a single arch, measuring 87 feet across, 24 feet 
high and 72 feet wide. The bridge was erected in 
1888-92 in place of an old wooden structure. Until 
1854 this noted bridge was the only one which united 
the eastern and western sections of the city. One won- 
ders why people should build a city at such a place, but 



VENICE. 247 

it is easier to ask questions than to answer them. The 
principal reason is that the place was established by 
people who traded on the sea. 

Venice is a very old city. The early settlers were 
of the Illyrian race. Already in the third century be- 
fore the Christian era the people entered into an alliance 
with the Romans. In 697 A. D. Venice formed a con- 
federation with several other towns on the coast, with a 
Doge (Latin Dux) as the head or ruler. The city soon 
became prosperous through its vast maritime commerce, 
and in the fifteentb century, at the height of its great- 
ness, had a population of 200,000. At present there 
are about 150,000 inhabitants. The city in the Middle 
Ages had vast colonies in various parts of the East. 
But the capture of Constantinople by the Turks in 1453 
turned the tide against Venice. In 1718 she lost all 
her Oriental possessions, and from this time onward 
Venice no longer occupied a prominent place in history. 
In 1797 the French captured the city, but in making 
peace with Austria, yielded Venice to the latter. The 
Austrians afterwards ceded it to Italy, but reoccupied 
it in 1814. Later on Venice, which had in 1848 de- 
clared itself a republic, was besieged for fifteen months 
and finally surrendered to the French. In 1866 Napo- 
leon III. ceded Venice to Victor Emmanuel, who 
united it with Italy. 

The principal part of Venice is St. Mark's Place, 
on the Grand Canal. Here are located St. Mark's 
cathedral, the Doge's Palace and other places of interest. 
At this point thousands of people gather in the evening 
to hear the music of a good band, and to enjoy social 
intercourse. The thousands of lights on the gondolas 



248 RAMBLES IN EUHOPE. 

floating on the canal present a unique and interesting 
sight. It is remarkable that these many boats on the 
water in the evening do not often collide. The lights 
are reflected in the water, so that there seem to be twi«e 
as many as there really are. 

St. Mark's cathedral is the pride of Venice. It is 
claimed that the bones of St. Mark, one of the Apostles, 
were brought from Alexandria to Venice in 829 and 
buried in this church. This legend has been denied. 
Commenced in 830, the cathedral, after a fire, was re- 
built in 976. In the eleventh century it was completely 
tranformed into its present style, the Byzantine. The 
church is 246 feet long and 112 feet wide, and has five 
domes. The exterior and interior are adorned with 
more than 500 marble columns, and the interior with 
numerous mosaics. In the days of the Venetian re- 
public, the Doge, on festival occasions, used to attend 
divine services at St. Mark's with great pomp and 
ceremony. 

The interior of the church is richly adorned with 
marble, gold, mosaics and bronze. Nearly the whole 
of the ceiling is in mosaic. Fourteen marble statues 
of St. Mark, the Virgin and the Apostles surmount the 
screen which fences off" the choir. An altar back of the 
the high altar has four magnificent alabaster columns. 
The floor of this church is very uneven. People need 
to exercise care so as not to fall. During our visit sev- 
eral tourist leaders were lecturing to their parties in the 
church whilst several priests were celebrating mass. 
There was not much confusion. A number of monks 
were present with sandals on their bare feet. 

One of the sights in front of St. Mark's church is 
the hundreds of pigeons which make their home in St. 



VENICE. 249 

Mark^s Square. These were formerly fed at the govern- 
ment's expense, but are now cared for by the people. 
There are men at hand who sell corn in small quantities 
to visitors, who then feed the docile birds. A number 
of pigeons ate out of my hand. Tradition says that a 
certain Doge brought a lot of pigeons to Venice and 
gave them as presents to many poor people. He told 
them to fatten the pigeons for their Easter dinner. The 
people did as requested, but several pigeons escaped 
and took refuge in the cornices and towers of St. Mark's 
church, where they were not disturbed, because they 
were supposed to be under the care of the patron saint. 
Every Easter these multiplying pigeons received a 
double portion of food at public expense. 

In front of St. Mark's church are three decorated 
flagstails, surmounted by winged lions. From these 
once floated silk and gold banners, representing 
Candia, Cyprus and Morea, the three possessions of 
Venice. 

On the north and south St. Mark's Place is bounded 
by the so-called Procuratie, once the residences of the 
nine Procurators, the chief officials of the republic. 
The first floors of these buildings, flanked with arcades, 
are occupied with shops and cafes. Near the cathedral 
stands the large and splendid new campanile on the site 
of the famous old one which collapsed in 1902. The 
old one was 323 feet high. Its erection was commenced 
in 902. The erection of the new campanile (bell tower) 
was commenced in 1903, and was nearly completed at 
the time of our visit in July, 1910. It is a large 
square brick edifice and makes an imposing appearance. 
Another prominent object at this place is the high clock 
17 



250 EAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

tower, built in 1496-99, with its large dial and two 
bronze figures above, which strike the hours on the bell. 

Another building at St. Mark's Place is the old 
Palace of the Doges, the former rulers of the republic. 
This palace is supposed to date from about 814, and in 
the course of its long history underwent numerous 
changes. In the front there are arcades on the two 
lower floors. " On the upper arcade two colums of red 
marble mark the place whence the Republic caused its 
sentences of death to be proclaimed." A.t one corner 
of the building there is a marble relief representing the 
Judgment of Solomon. Another relief represents two 
warriors embracing each other. 

The Doges used to be crowned at the top of the 
Giants' Stairway, where stand two statues of Mars and 
Neptune. One of the rooms is the CoUegio, in which 
the Council, presided over by the Doge, held its delib- 
erations. In another room the Senate of the republic 
held its sessions. There are some fine paintings in these 
halls. Still another room was the " meeting place of 
the famous Council of Ten, which supervised the affairs 
of the republic, but which after the sixteenth century 
degenerated into a tyrannical inquisition." On the 
middle floor are the rooms of the Great Council, to 
which every nobleman over twenty belonged. The 
largest of these rooms contains numerous wall paint- 
ings of great size. On the frieze under the ceiling are 
the portraits of 76 Doges from 801 to 1559. A black 
tablet occupies the place of Doge Marino Faliero, who 
was beheaded in 1355 as a conspirator. In this room is 
the largest oil painting in the world. It represents Para- 
dise, and is 23 feet high and 72 feet long, and contains 



VENICE. 



261 



a very large number of figures. The Library connected 
with the palace is said to contain 120,000 volumes and 
12,000 manuscripts. 

The palace is connected with the old prison, which 
we also visited. The cells are low and very dark. Not 




BRIDGE OF SIGHS, VENICE 



MSSM%^ 



much consideration was shown for prisoners in olden 
times. In this dreary place many a political offender 
was imprisoned, tortured and executed. The visitor is 
filled with sadness as he passes through this place and 
recalls its dark pages in history. The Palace is con- 
nected with the prison by the famous Bridge of Sighs 



252 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

so-called because many of the condemned passing over 
it into prison never returned. 

The Academy of Arts contains 700 paintings, many 
of which are considered master-pieces, nearly all by 
Venetian artists. 

We felt that we had to take a gondola ride. Else- 
where we rode in carriages or trolly cars, in trains under 
the ground, etc. Here there is only one mode of travel- 
ing — in boats. We employed a gondolier for so much 
an hour. After entering the gondola we could not start 
until we had given a fee to a bystander who had 
steadied the boat while we stepped in. We were rowed 
over the Grand Canal until beyond the Rialto bridge, 
after which we returned through numerous back canals. 
These are narrow, and everywhere the water is very 
dirty. Much offal is dumped into the water, and the 
wonder is that pestilence does not result. The gondo- 
liers by a peculiar yell give notice to others as they ap- 
proach a corner. We passed under numerous bridges, 
mostly of stone, by many warehouses where goods were 
being loaded into, or unloaded from, boats. Every- 
where there was nothing but canals, boats, and build- 
ings with sides running down into the water. All build- 
ings rest upon piles, driven into the marshy ground. 
Do not these piles rot soon, being always wet ? No. It 
is a fact that wood does not decay as long as it is in the 
water. 

I must confess that in a general way I did not care 
much for Venice. I liked it less than any city that 
we visited. I would not live in a place where there 
are no streets, but only canals with dirty water. Those 
who were born here and know no better are likely satis- 
fied. I was glad when the ame of departure came. 



VENICE. 253 

Venice is a Catholic city, and has been such for 
many centuries. But there are also a few Evangelical 
churches. The history of these latter is characterized 
by numerous trials and persecutions. 

Although a thoroughly Catholic city, the Reforma- 
tion took root here at an early period. There was a 
German settlement in Venice as farly as 1600, consist- 
ing principally of merchants. Already in 1532 a 
Venetian bookseller published a Protestant Bible in 
the Italian language — two years before the publication 
of Luther's German Bible. This is a remarkable fact. 
Before this time Luther's writings were read to a con- 
siderable extent in Venice. In 1529 Luther wrote a 
letter to friends in the city. About this time a certain 
priest preached to some extent Evangelical doctrines 
here. Then came the Inquisition which suppressed the 
truth largely and for a long time. 

About the year 1650 a German Evangelical congre- 
gation was organized in Venice, which has had a con- 
tinued history down to the present time, a period of 
250 years. During this long period there have been 
twenty- four pastors. The constitution of 1660 indi- 
cates the trials of the congregation. In order to avoid 
persecution the members were admonished to come to 
church and depart one by one. Women did not attend 
church except at communion. No one was to impart in- 
formation in reference to meetings. No singing was 
had in the services for fear of giving offence. During 
the services some one stood guard at the door. At first 
the pastors passed in the community as merchants or 
physicians. The first pastor was banished from the 
city in 1654 ; the second one died suddenly, supposedly 



254 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

from poison received in a cloister. In the course of 
time religious toleration was proclaimed. 

For a Jong time the German Protestants were 
allowed only preaching. All other ministrations had to 
be performed by Roman priests. Then there were many 
difficulties on account of burial places. It is a wonder 
that under such circumstances the Protestant organiza- 
tion could be maintained. It shows that these Germans 
in Venice had a firm love for Evangelical truth in their 
hearts; otherwise they would not have endured all 
these persecutions. 



CHAPTER XVL-QTY OF ROME^ 




The Eternal City.— Its Many Churches. — St. Peter's 
Chureh.~The Vatican.— Magnifleent Churches. 
Roman Forum.— Colosseum.— Forum of Tra- 
jan.— Royal Palace.— Castle of St. An- 
gelo.— St. Sebastian Gate.— The 
Appian Way.— The Catacombs. 

UR party spent eight days in the city of 
Rome, Italy (Rom in German ; Roma 
in Italian). It was with feelings of 
peculiar interest that we approached 
this great ancient and modern munici- 
pality, known as the " eternal city " and 
the " city built upon seven hills." It 
is worth while to visit Europe to see 
Rome alone. As we approached the 
city we saw for a long distance the ruins of the great 
aqueducts which supplied ancient Rome with good 
water from distant mountains. The first acqueduct was 
built in 312 before Christ. There were fourteen in all, 
with an aggregate length of 351 miles. The many 
arches and solid masonry of this work show how well 
the old Romans built. Evidences of this fact are seen 
everywhere in and around the city. 

Of the seven hills of Rome the most important are 
the Capitoline, Palatine and the Quirinal. The hills 
were originally fortified. Rome was once the metrop- 
olis of the ancient world ; afterwards for centuries the 
residence of the Popes, and has been since 1871 the 
capital of the kingdom of Italy. 

The city is located fifteen miles from the Mediter- 
ranean Sea, on both sides of the river Tiber, which here 



256 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

is spanned by twelve bridges. Its history goes back to 
about 753 years before the birth of Christ. This fact 
alone lends intense interest to the place. Here people 
have come, lived and gone during more than 2,500 
years. 

The reputed founder of Rome was Romulus, the 
first king, who took up his residence on the Palatine 
Hill on April 21, B. C. 753. Later he conquered 
the Capitoline and Quirinal hills. Rome has passed 
through many and great changes. Originally the Tiber 
was navigable up to the city and this fact brought pros- 
perity. In the year A. D. 64 Nero, perhaps the most 
cruel ruler, set ^fire to the city, laying the blame upon 
the Christians and in this way causing the death of 
multitudes of them. The greater part of the city was 
destroyed. It was rebuilt in a more regular and better 
form. At the beginning of the second century the 
population was about 1,000,000. But in the year 330 
Constantine removed the capital of the empire from Rome 
to Constantinople, until then called Byzantium. This 
act caused a rapid decline of Rome, and it was during 
a long time of little significance. In the middle of the 
fourteenth century the population had been reduced to 
20,000. At the beginning of the sixteenth century the 
population was not more than 85,000. Since then it 
has increased again, so that by the end of the papal rule 
(in 1870) it had risen to 221,000. At the present time 
it is upwards of 500,000. 

During centuries Rome was the capital of the 
Pope's political government, which up to 1859 extended 
over 3,000,000 Italians. The Pope had an army like 
other rulers. This continued until 1870, when the army 



ROME. 257 

of Victor Emmanuel, who had unified Italy, marched 
into Rome and made an end of the Pope's temporal 
rule. A magnificent monument is now being erected 
in Rome to the memory of that monarch, which, when 
completed, will be 208 feet high and cost about $5,000,- 
000, and in front of it will be a figure of King Emmanuel 
on horseback. It will be the largest and most magnifi- 
cent monument of its kind in the world. 

Christianity was introduced into Rome about the 
middle of the first century, and it gradually made great 
progress, but in the face of awful persecutions. The 
fiercest was that of Diocletian in 303, which, however, 
failed to suppress Christianity. In 313 Constantine the 
Great proclaimed religious toleration, and soon after, 
having himself embraced Christianity, he made this 
the state religion. 

Rome has during centuries been a thoroughly Cath- 
olic city. The Popes have been supreme rulers of a 
despotic kind. The city was no place for dissenters. 
But in recent years a remarkable change has occurred 
in the sentiment of the people. It seems almost in- 
credible that the present Mayor of Rome is a Jew (Sig- 
ner Nathan), who is ardently opposed to the Pope. In 
the fall of 1910 Rome celebrated the fortieth anniver- 
sary of its liberation from the power of the Vatican, 
and in an address Mr. Nathan made a scathing attack 
on the Pope and his methods. The Mayor charged the 
Pontiff with keeping his people in the bondage of ignor- 
ance and under the domination of his priests and him- 
self, forbidding them not only to read the Bible, but 
also other literature of enlightenment and education. 
It is marvellous that such a thing can occur in Rome, 



258 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the headquarters of the powerful hierarchy. The four 
men representing Rome in the National Parliament are 
opponents of the Roman Church. According to the 
last census of Italy, of 30,000,000 people 10,000,000 
declared that they have no religious connection. Many 
of the government officials are also said to be against 
the Pope. 

In Rome there are over 300 Catholic churches, many 
of which are large and old. Eighty of these are dedi- 
cated to the Virgin Mary. There are also 14 Protes- 
tant churches, which are an eyesore to the Pope and his 
associates. Numerous priests wearing black gowns, and 
black hats greatly resembling those of the Amish people 
of Pennsylvania, live in the city. These, with the 
monks, nuns and soldiers, form a large proportion of 
Rome's population. Great quantities of precious metals 
have been lavished upon the decoration of the jcity's 
many churches. As one looks at these things, he is re- 
minded of the fact that the Church of Rome can no 
longer say with Peter : " Silver and gold have I none.'' 

The grandest building in the city is St. Peter's 
church, the largest house of worship in Christendom. 
It is a rare treat to anyone to see this wonderful build- 
ing. (See picture.) The church stands at the western 
edge of the city. The first church at this place was 
erected by Emperor Constantine "at the request of 
Pope Sylvester I. (314-36) over the supposed grave of 
St, Peter." It was surrounded with chapels and monas- 
teries. It was at the high altar in this church that 
Charlemagne on December 25, 800, received the Roman 
imperial crown from Pope Leo III., and many later 
emperors were also crowned here. 



ST. Peter's church. 259 

This first St. Peter's church gradually became di- 
lapidated. In 1452 Pope Nicholas V. commenced the 
erection of the present large and magnificent structure, 
but he died already in 1455, when the walls had reached 
only the level of the ground. The work was allowed 
to rest for fifty years^ when Pope Julius II. commenced 
it again. A number of architects had charge of the 
work, among them the famous Michael Angelo. Ber- 
nini was the last architect. The work proceeded slowly 
and there were frequent changes in the plans. It was 
not until 1626 that the church was completed and dedi- 
cated on November 18 of that year by Pope Urban 
VIII., on the 1300th anniversary of the founding of 
the first St. Peter's church at the same place. 

The great church covers 18,000 square yards, whilst 
the cathedral at Milan covers 14,000 square yards, St. 
Paul's in London 9,450, and the Cologne cathedral 
7,340. The interior length is 615 feet and the height 
150 feet. The great dome to the top of the cross is 
435 feet high. We climbed to the top of the dome over 
hundreds of steps, and from that point obtained a beau- 
tiful view of the city and its surroundings. 

The approach to the church is grand and elaborate. 
On the north and south sides are long semi- circular 
colonnades. There are 284 columns and 84 pillars, 
arranged in four rows. The central passage is wide 
enough for two carriages going abreast. On the top of 
the colonnades are 162 statues of saints. Some distance 
from the front of the church stands an obelisk which 
was brought from Heliopolis, Egypt, and placed here 
in 1586. It is 84 feet in height. At the sides are two 
fountains, 45 feet high. Many wide steps lead up to 



260 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the church, the front of which consists of a portico. 
Above the portico stand colossal statues of Christ and 
the Apostles. The whole makes a profound impres- 
sion. 

There is a cruel act connected with this spot. His- 
tory tells us that after Nero had set the city of Rome 
on fire and blamed the Christians for the act, he had 
many of them, after saturating their clothing with pitch, 
tied to posts and burned as torches to illuminate his 
Vatican Garden for the entertainment of the cruel em- 
peror's friends. This is said to have occurred in the 
space in front of the present St. Peter's church, with the 
site of the obelisk as a centre. 

The church proper is entered by five large doors. 
The most northerly one is called '' the sacred door,'' 
which is opened only once every twenty- five years, and 
then by the Pope. On the door is painted a huge cross. 
The interior of the church is grand and beautiful. Soon 
after entering through the central door one finds a round 
slab of porphyry in the pavement, which lay in front 
of the high altar in the old church. On this slab stood 
the former emperors when they were crowned by the 
Popes. The building contains fewer pictures than most 
churches, and one of the peculiar features is the plain 
glass in the windows. This is in striking contrast to 
the beautiful colored windows in many Roman churches. 
To the right is a bronze sitting statue of St. Peter, sup- 
posed to be from the fifth century. The right foot is 
extended and the large toe is worn smooth by the kisses 
of the devotees. On a Sunday morning I stood here 
a while to look at the many people who came to 
kiss St. Peter's toe. Each one wiped the toe before 



ST. Peter's church. 261 

kissiDg it, some with their handkerchiefs, others with 
their coat sleeves. Parents lifted up little children to 
enjoy the privilege. My sympathy went out to a lady 
in mourning. She seemed sad and no doubt had lost 
some dear friend by death. She lingered a long time, 
and repeatedly kissed St. Peter's toe and with her right 
hand stroked his whole foot. She sought a blessing 
from the saint. I thought to myself : " O for another 
Zwingli who would lead these poor deluded people 
directly to Christ instead of the saints for comfort and 
forgiveness, as he did so heroically at Einsiedeln." The 
great dome is a beautiful work of art. It rests upon 
four huge pillars. Above are mosaic pictures of the 
Evangelists. This dome, which is very high, sheds a 
flood of Jight upon the whole church below. There are 
two galleries in the dome, one above the other, from 
each of which the view into the church below is mag- 
nificent. 

There are numerous altars along the north and 
<50uth sides of the church, where priests celebrate mass. 
These altars are of the finest material. But the princi- 
pal attraction is the great high altar under the large 
dome, at which the Pope alone celebrates mass. This 
was dedicated in 1594, and over it was erected in 1633 
s. canopy with four gilded spiral columns. In front of 
the high altar is the " Confessio," with 89 continuously 
burning lamps mounted on the enclosing balustrade. 
In this enclosure there is a large marble statue of Pope 
Pius VI. in the attitude of prayer. 

In the rear of the high altar is the Pope's throne, in- 
cluding St. Peter's chair. The latter is now encased in 
ebony. No one except the Pope may occupy this chair. 



262 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

This place is also enclosed. One of our party asked 
the man in charge whether any one might sit in St. 
Peter's chair, but the man seemed horrified at the sug- 
gestion and exclaimed with emphasis : '^ Only Pope.'* 
The throne is of course richly adorned with gold. 

There are numerous " confessionals'' — places where 
the people can confess their sins to the priests in many 
languages. In the left transcept alone people of ten 
different languages can be accommodated. 

The question naturally arises, what is the seating 
capacity of St. Peter's church ? The size of a church 
is usually determined in our minds in this way. Sev- 
eral years ago I sought information on this subject, but 
found none. I read several descriptions of the great 
church, but no answer was found to the question. The 
fact is that the great church has no seats. This may 
seem strange, but it is true here as in the case of other 
Catholic churches. Some have a small number of 
seats. In many churches most people stand while the 
priests celebrate mass. We have been in churches 
when several thousand persons were present, and over 
one- half standing. 

In St. Peter's church all the people stand during a 
service. It is usually stated that the church can hold 
50,000 people, and I suppose that is a fact. The church 
is of course seldom, if ever, filled. On a Sunday morn- 
ing, when we visited the place a second time, there were 
probably several thousand people in the building, but 
they were scattered widely, and the church looked al- 
most empty. Only on special occasions are crowds 
present. A large proportion of those present on the 
above occasion were tourists. 



ST. Peter's church. 263 

Throughout the church we find many statues and 
monuments of former Popes, also some fine paintings 
at the numerous altars. The church contains a chime 
of bells which is heard at a considerable distance. 

It would be interesting to know the cost of the 
erection of this remarkable building. But it is ques- 
tionable whether this is known. The church was a 
long time in building. It is stated that up to the be- 
ginning of the eighteenth century the cost had aggre- 
gated about $50,000,000. The cost of maintaining the 
church runs into many thousands of dollars per year. 

We must see the Crypt, which is in the basement of 
the great church. Of course we must purchase tickets. 
In the Crypt are deposited the bodies of many eminent 
Catholics. Right under the high altar are the bodies 
of St. Peter and St. Paul. So it is said. We saw their 
richly adorned coffins — sarcophagi as they are called. 
(In another church in Rome the heads of these two 
apostles are said to be buried under the altar.) Can it 
be possible that we stood before the remains of the two 
great apostles of Jesus ? Nearby are also the coffins 
of Simon and another apostle. As in the case of many 
other Roman and Episcopal churches, the basement of 
St. Peter's church is a graveyard. The tombs are of 
rich material and represent great wealth. 

Whilst inspecting St. Peter's church strange thoughts 
are apt to fill the mind of the visitor. On this spot 
people have been worshipping God, in their peculiar 
way, during many hundreds of years, and as early as 
sixteen centuries ago. Truly this must be a sacred 
place. The form of worship is not according to our 
notion, but we must judge others from their point of 



264 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

view, if we would be just to them. Millions of people 
have come here to worship the Lord and receive His 
blessing, and in so far as they were sincere and acted 
according to the best light they had, they did not come 
in vain. Yet we cannot help wishing that they might 
know that there is certainly a better way to worship 
the Lord in spirit and in truth. 

Immediately to the north of St. Peter's church is 
the famous Vatican. By this term people understand 
the residence of the Pope. They think of it as a vast 
palace, with hundreds of rooms, in which the Pope lives 
in splendor, like most kings and emperors. But this 
is an erroneous view. The Vatican is a series of large 
buildings containing about 1000 halls, chapels and 
rooms. By far the greater part of these buildings is 
occupied by the art galleries, museums and state apart- 
ments. The real residence of the Pope is a compara- 
tively small house on the east side of the Vatican, sur- 
rounded by trees and gardens. His residence is shown 
visitors from a window of one of the art galleries by an 
attendant (of course for a small fee). 

The collections of paintings and sculptures in the 
Vatican are simply immense and cannot be described. 
In extent they are rivalled only by the collections in 
the Louvre galleries in Paris. There are also numer- 
ous works of tapestry of superior character. Many of 
the paintings are very old and famous. The most 
famous are those in the old Sistine chapel. This is the 
papal palace chapel, erected under Pope Sixtus IV., in 
1473-81. The paintings in this large place are all Bible 
scenes as conceived by the artists. The largest and the 
most noted is the Last Judgment by Michael Angelo 



MAGNIFICENT CHURCHES. 265 

(1534-41). It is 66 by 33 feet in size. It has been 
dimmed by age, but is still admired by thousands. We 
visited the chapel soon after opening in the morning in 
order to avoid the usual crowd, but still the place was 
thronged when we reached it. Many of the paintings 
are by Raphael, Michael Angelo, Bernini, etc. The 
Vatican Library is a very large one. It was founded 
about 1450, and now contains about 250,000 volumes 
and 34,000 manuscripts. 

The largest of the 80 churches dedicated to the 
Virgin Mary is Santa Maria Maggiore. Tradition 
says that Mary in a dream ordered Pope Liberius to 
build a church in her honor at the place where he should 
discover snow on the following day, which was August 
6. He of course obeyed, and erected a church which 
was subsequently greatly enlarged. The first gold 
brought from America was used in decorating the 
splendid ceiling in 1493-08. There are 40 beautiful 
Ionic columns in the interior, 36 of marble and 4 of 
granite. Inside the high altar, it is claimed, reposes the 
body of St. Matthew, and under this altar five boards 
from the manger in which the infant Jesus was laid are 
said to be kept. In the Borghese chapel of this church ' 
there hangs an old miraculous picture of the Virgin 
said to have been painted by St. Luke. In the Sistine 
chapel of this church is the tomb and monument of 
Pope Pius V. We were told that by paying a fee we 
could be shown the body of this Pope. We paid the 
fee, the guide opened a lid at the side of the tomb and 
we saw a form like that of a man enshrouded in rich 
garments. We had thought that if we could not see 
the living Pope, we might at least see a dead one. 
18 



266 RAMBLES IN EUKOPE. 

The most peculiar church buildiug in Rome is the 
Pantheon. It was originally erected in 27 before 
Christ Lightning having injured it, the building was 
reconstructed by Emperor Hadrian, who ruled from 
117 to 138. It was a heathen temple until 609, when 
Boniface lY. dedicated it as a Christian church. The 
walls are 22 feet thick. The large porch in front is 
borne by 16 Corinthian columns which are 41 feet high. 
The building is circular in form. There are no windows 
except a circular opening in the top of the dome, which 
is without glass and admits enough light to illuminate 
the large building very well. The dome is as wide as 
high — 142 feet each way. There are seven large niches 
in the walls in which originally stood statues of heathen 
gods. In this church are the tombs of Victor Emmanuel^ 
who died in 1878, and Humbert I., who died in 1900, 
both kings of Italy. Here is also the tomb of Raphael, 
the famous artist, who died in 1520. 

Near the Pantheon is a large square, in the centre 
of which on a pedestal stands Barnini's marble ele- 
phant carrying an antique obelisk on its back. 

The Santa Maria Sopra Minerva church stands 
upon the ruins of the heathen temple of Minerva^ 
which was erected by the Emperor Domitian. Com- 
menced in 1280 and restored in the 19 th century, this 
is the only Gothic church in Rome that has come down 
from mediaeval times. The church contains a famous 
statue by Michael Angelo representing the Risen Christ. 
Lest the right foot of this beautiful statue be worn away 
by the kisses of worshippers it has been encased in a 
bronze shoe. 

The Church of St. John the Lateran is one of the 
most interesting. It is located some distance southeast 



MAGNIFICENT CHURCHES. 267 

of the Colosseum. This was the first Christian church 
in the city and dates from the time of Constantine. It 
was the cathedral of Rome until the rebuilding of St. 
Peter's. After its re-erection in 904-11 it was dedi- 
cated to John the Baptist. It required several recon- 
structions to bring the church to its present state of per- 
fection. St. John's contains an altar for the use of the 
Pope or his substitute in which, it is said, the heads of 
St. Peter and St. Paul are preserved. Pope Martin V., 
who died in 1431, is buried in this church. There are 
also monuments to several other Popes, and colossal 
statues of the Apostles. Near the church stood the 
building in which the Popes resided from the time of 
Constantine until their removal to Avignon in 1305. 
The building was destroyed by fire in 1308. The site 
is now occupied by the Lateran Palace, which at present 
is used as a museum. Here is found a good collection 
of ancient works of art. The paintings all represent 
Bible scenes. 

Nearby is the famous Scala Santa (Sacred Staircase), 
consisting of 28 marble steps, which is said to have been 
a part of the judgment hall of Pilate, and to have been 
ascended by Christ when brought before the Eoman 
governor. The staircase was removed from Jerusalem 
to Rome by the Empress Helena about the year 326. 
At the top stands an altar. There is also a staircase on 
each side of the sacred one, upon which the penitents 
usually descend. We went up and down one of them. 

People are taught to believe that if they ascend this 
stairway upon their knees and recite a prayer upon each 
step and meditate upon the sufferings of Christ, they 
will obtain forgiveness for their sins. I secured a 



268 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

booklet at the entrance which contains 28 short prayers 
for use here. A picture card contains the alleged his- 
tory of the staircase. Pope Pius VII. extended the 
benefits of this service even to the souls in Purgatory. 
Thus persons, by ascending the staircase in the manner 
indicated, could secure the release of their departed 
relatives or friends from Purgatory. We are informed 
that Pope Pius IX. for the last time ascended the stair- 
case on Sept. 19, 1870, and shed copious tears while 
doing so. At the, time of our visit two women were 
going through this process. Their progress was slow 
and we could not wait until they had completed their 
task. Martin Luther also sought relief through this 
exercise, but found none. We could not help pitying 
the two women, who, following one of the many super- 
stitions of their Church, went through this ceremony. 
At the entrance stands a statue representing Judas be- 
traying Jesus with a kiss. We left the place thankful 
that we were taught a better way to secure deliverance 
from sin. 

The church called San Pietro in Vincoli, which also 
is quite ancient, is specially noted as containing the 
large statue of Moses by Michael Angelo. Moses is 
represented as having short horns and as being angry 
at the Jews' apostasy. There are also statues of Rachel 
and Leah. Under the high altar are kept the so-called 
chains of St. Peter, which we were allowed to see upon 
the payment of a fee. According to tradition, one of 
the chains bound Peter in prison at Jerusalem, whilst 
the other held him fast in the Mamertine prison at 
Rome. The two chains were united into one by a 
miracle. Having seen the precious relic we reserved 



MAGNIFICENT CHURCHES. 269 

the right to credit or disbelieve the story, as we saw fit. 
The tradition serves the Church at least one good pur- 
pose -it brings in revenue. 

The large and beautiful St. Paul's church is located 
at the edge of the city. This church was founded in 
386 by Yalentinian II. and Theodosius. In 1823 it 
was nearly burned down, but after being rebuilt it was 
again dedicated in 1854. The front of the building, 
with its magnificent portico of granite columns, each 
consisting of a single stone, looks towards the Tiber 
river. This part is still unfinished. The inside is 
wonderfully beautiful. Two rows of highly polished 
granite columns, eighty in all, run down the middle of 
the church. With a length of 396 feet, a width of 
195 feet, and a height of 75 feet, the interior, especially 
when viewed from the western end, is magnificent. 
There are four alabaster columns at the high altar, and 
two more at the main entrance, all of which were pre- 
sented by the Khedive of Egypt. Prominent among 
the decorations are large paintings of scenes taken from 
the life of St. Paul, and a series of mosaic portraits of 
all the Popes, about 200 in number. These produce a 
fine effect. The church is said to have cost nearly one 
and one-half million dollars. 

From St. PauPs church we were driven a few miles 
to the Abbey of the Three Fountains, which commem- 
orates the traditional place of St. Paul's execution. Ac- 
cording to the legend, the Apostle's head, after its sev- 
erance from the body, bounded three times, and caused 
three fountains to spring forth where it touched the 
earth. Over each fountain there is an altar, with an 
opening, through which, with a dipper provided for 



270 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the purpose, a drink of water may be secured. Of 
course we drank of the water. This is another of 
Rome's superstitions. The fact is that a small stream 
of water flows under the building and a *' fountain" 
could be opened at any point. On account of the ma- 
laria prevalent in that region the old abbey was for a 
long time unoccupied, but in 1868 the place was given 
to a number of French Trappists, who by means of 
drainage, etc., brought about a great improvement. 
The monks conduct a little shop in which they sell 
various kinds of cards and trinkets. 

The church of Santa Maria della Concezione is a 
unique place of worship, belonging to the Capuchin 
monks. This society was founded in 1626. When one 
of these monks dies he is buried in one of the four 
chambers in the basement of the church. The avail- 
able place for graves is always full, so that whenever 
a death occurs the corpse that has been buried the 
longest is exhumed to make room for the new one. 
The bones are then cleaned and neatly piled up, or used 
for decorating the ceiling and walls of the burial cham- 
bers, which thus present a rather gruesome appearance. 
But it is interesting to see how artistically the skulls 
and bones are arranged. As in so many other Catholic 
churches, bones play an important part here. This 
church is of interest to tourists also because in the first 
chapel to the right as one enters there is a celebrated 
painting by Guido Rani, viz., St. Michael slaying the 
Demon. 

The Gesu is the principal church of the Jesuits in 
Rome. Erected in the sixteenth century, its interior 
is lavishly decorated, as might be expected. 



BAMBINO CHURCH. 271 

The French national church is a large and substan- 
tial old building, dating from 1689. This church con- 
tains fine frescos from the life of the popular St. Cecilia. 
In one the saint distributes clothing to the poor ; in 
another she and her betrothed are crowned by an angel ; 
in another she suffers martyrdom, and in still another 
she is admitted to heaven. 

A place of peculiar interest is the so-called Bam- 
bino church on the Capitoline Hill. 124 wide steps 
lead up to the church. The site was originally occu- 
pied by a temple of Juno. Nearby was the temple of 
Jupiter, dedicated in the year 509 before Christ. The 
church was mentioned already in the eighth century. 
Its present name, Santa Maria in Aracoeli, means " St. 
Mary on the Altar of Heaven,'' and " dates from the 
12th century, when a legend pointed this out as the spot 
where the Sibyl of Tibur announced the birth of Christ 
to Emperor Augustus.'' The principal object of inter- 
est in this church is the " Bambino," or image of Christ 
as a babe. It is made of olive wood, and is held in 
great veneration for its supposed miraculous power of 
healing the sick. It is literally covered with gold 
watches, rings, precious stones, etc., presented by people 
who supposed themselves to have been cured by its 
power. There are also many letters which have been 
ivritten to the child-image by people who implored its 
help. This is perhaps the most glaring case of idolatry 
that we have met. From Christmas Day to Epiphany 
(Jan. 6) every afternoon children deliver recitations ad- 
dressed to the image. 

Near this church in the garden of a hospital is the 
old Tarpeian Rock, a high precipice, over which male- 
factors were formerly thrown to their death. 



272 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

We spent some time on the Capitol, which, from afi 
historical point of view, is the most important of 
Rome's seven hills. On top of the hill is a large open 
space. Here are two fine statues of Emperor Constan- 
tine and his son Constans, and two old milestones. 
A fine bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius,. 
one of the best of the Roman Emperors, who was born 
A. D. 121, graces the centre of the square. 

One of the buildings fronting on the Capitol Square 
is the Palazzo del Senatore, a mediaeval building which 
has been greatly improved by the addition of a beauti- 
ful staircase and a new front. The palace is now used 
as the city hall and as an office building. 

The Capitoline Museum on this hill is famous all 
over the world for its rich treasures of ancient sculp- 
tures, ranking next after the Vatican in importance 
among Roman collections of antiquities. 

The ancient Romans had a secure place for their 
archives. On the way from the Capitol to the Romaa 
Forum we passed the ruins of the old Tabularium, 
which was erected in the year 78 before Christ for the 
safekeeping of the public records. It consisted of a 
fivefold series of vaults. During the Middle Ages the 
vaults were used as a storehouse for salt. 

A place of surpassing interest is the Roman Forum, 
which lies a short distance southeast of the Capitol. 
Here are many ruins of magnificent ancient structures, 
which convey an idea of Rome's splendor in the days 
of its prime. They also show how unstable is all 
earthly glory. The Forum was originally a market 
place, later a place of public meetings, and in time 
became the centre of the Roman government. In this 



ROMAN FORUM. 27S 

large place were magnificent public buildings, temples, 
columns, triumphal arches and statues. The glory of 
the place continued until the sixth century, when for 
about a thousand years its beautiful structures were de- 
molished and parts of them were used in the erection of 
churches and other buildings. Gradually the once grand 
Forum was turned into a heap of ruins, and parts of the 
ancient pavement are even now deeply buried beneath the 
debris. It is claimed that this place of Roman splendor 
in the course of time became the haunts of buffaloes and 
oxen from the country. Since 1870, when Victor Em- 
manuel took possession of the city, the excavations of 
the Forum have been conducted thoroughly. 

A fine view of the Forum may be had from the foot 
of the Capitol. We wandered all over the place which 
is about 2J acres in extent. Here paganism ruled su- 
preme until the fourth century after Christ. The ruins 
of some of the heathen temples are still here ; but those 
of others have disappeared. Of the Temple of Saturn 
eight columns still remain. This temple was dedicated 
in the year 497 before Christ. The old Tribune, from 
which the orators spoke, and which dates from the time 
of Augustus, is indicated by a raised platform. A flight 
of steps leads down to a group of very ancient monu- 
ments, one of which is supposed to mark the grave of 
Romulus, the founder of R-ome. The inscriptions can- 
not be deciphered. They are said to have been intel- 
ligible to only a few even in Cicero's time. Is it possible 
that we stood at the grave of Romulus, who died in the 
year 716 before Christ? 

The Triumphal Arch of Severus was erected in the 
year A. D. 203. It is a marble monument, 75 feet high 
and 82 feet wide. 



274 RAMBLES IK EUROPE. 

At the northwestern edge of the Forum stands a 
large brick building which was the house of the Roman 
Senate, erected by Julius Csesar, who was assassinated 
B. C. 44. This fact shows the great age of the build- 
ing — upwards of 2,000 years. A number of tombs 
have been cut into the side of the structure. One of 
the bodies buried here is partly exposed to view. In 
625 the Senate building was converted into a church. 

The Temple of Csesar stood on the east side of the 
Forum, and its foundations are still visible. This temple 
was built by Augustus on the spot where Mark An- 
thony delivered his famous funeral address over Julius 
Caesar's dead body. He held up the bloody robes of 
the murdered dictator, which greatly excited the people. 
Csesar was ** honored " by having his body burned in the 
famous Roman Forum. Alas what honor ! We re- 
called chese facts as we stood on this historic spot. 

In the Forum stood also the house of the Pontifex 
Maximus, the highest official of pagan worship among 
the old Romans. It is somewhat strange that the Pope 
of Rome should bear the same official title. 

The Arch of Titus is a famous and well-preserved 
monument. It is a memorial to Titus, the Roman 
general, who afterwards became Emperor, and com- 
memorates his defeat of the Jews and the destruction 
of Jerusalem in the year A. D. 70. His was a bloody 
victory, since about one milliou Jews perished in that 
war. The Arch is a massive structure, encased in 
marble. On one of the sides is a relief of the triumphant 
procession with Jewish captives. The relief also shows 
the table with shew head and the golden candlestick 
with seven branches, taken from the temple at Jerusa- 
lem, which was destroyed. 



GREAT ARCHES. 



275 



A similar structure is the Arch of Constantine, 
which stands not far from the one mentioned above. 
The great arch was dedicated to Emperor Constantine 
after his victory over his rival Maxentius. The battle 
occurred in the year A. D. 312 near Rome and resulted 




AP.CH OF TITUS, PvOME. 



in a complete victory for Constantine the Great. Max- 
entiiis in his flight was drowned in the river Tiber. 
There is a legend that there appeared to Constantine a 
flaming cross in the heavens, bearing the inscription : 
" In this sign conquer." Next year Constantine issued 



276 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the edict of Milan, which granted full liberty of wor- 
ship. This was a great boon to the Christians. In 
A. D. 324 he proclaimed Christianity as the state re- 
ligion of Rome. Heathen temples were closed and 
sacrifices forbidden. The Arch of Constantine of course 
bears marks of the ravages of time. But it is remark- 
ably well preserved after having withstood the elements 
nearly 1,600 years. 

Near the Arch of Constantine stand the ruins of a 
colossal statue of the sun god, which stood in front of 
Nero's'.Golden House. This was the magnificent palace 
of Nero, which he erected soon after the great confla- 
gration in A, D. 64, started by his own orders. Here 
the cruel tyrant lived in great splendor, but after his 
death the Golden House soon became dilapidated. 

In the Forum stood also the great milestone, from 
which all distances in the vast empire were measured. 

On the north side of the Forum stands the Mamer- 
tine Prison, one of the oldest buildings in the city. 
There are two chambers, one above the other, the 
lower being 19 feet long, 10 feet wide and 6| feet 
high. Originally the only communication with the 
lower dungeon was by means of a hole in the floor of 
the upper chamber, through which the prisoners were 
let down. Here many of Rome's powerful antagonists 
were incarcerated and executed. There is a small 
well in the lower dungeon. There is a tradition that 
St. Peter, when imprisoned in this cell, by a miracle 
opened a spring here to enable him to baptize his con- 
verted jailors. The chain which bound St. Peter was 
shown us in one of the churches, as mentioned above. 

There are many other old landmarks in the Forum, 
including various temples, whose sites are pointed out. 



THE COLOSSEUM. 



277 



but we can tarry no longer. There are said to have 
been about three hundred temples in Rome, of course 
all heathen. A considerable number of them were later 
turned into Christian churches. 

Continuing our journey eastward we soon came to 
the wonderful Colosseum, the largest theatre the world 
has ever seen. It was opened by Titus in the year 80. 
The great structure is in the form of an ellipse. Its 




COLOSSEUM AT ROME. 

circumference is 1,722 feet and its height 158 feet. The 
outside is of stone, but the inside of the walls is of brick. 
Earlier Roman playhouses were constructed of wood. 
Tacitus mentions one such at Fidenae, dnring the reign 
of Tiberius, whose collapse is said to have killed or in- 
jured 50,000 persons. The Colosseum covers five acres 
of ground. Its seating capacity is differently given ; 
one authority says there were 50,000 seats ; another 
87,000. 



278 KAMBLES IN EUKOPE. 

The Colosseum was erected for gladitorial fights and 
for combats with wild animals. These sports show the 
barbarous tastes of the pagan Romans. They greatly 
enjoyed seeing men and animals tearing one another to 
pieces. At the opening of the building, 6,000 wild 
animals were slain during the contest, which lasted 100 
days. But their depraved taste is probably best shown 
by the fact that many of the early Christians of Rome 
were placed upon the arena and famished lions turned 
loose on them who tore them to pieces amid the shouts 
of 80,000 spectators. Here the noble Ignatius met his 
death as a martyr. A prominent seat was reserved for 
the emperor and high officials occupied places of honor 
near him. 

The Colosseum occupied a central position in the 
minds of the Romans. They had a saying : '* While 
stands the Colosseum, Rome shall stand. When falls 
the Colosseum, Rome shall fall. And when Rome falls 
with it shall fail the world.'' 

The Colosseum did fall, and so did Rome, but the 
world still stands. How was the Colosseum destroyed ? 
Probably by earthquakes. However, about one third 
of it is still well preserved. During the Middle Ages 
the place was used as a fortress. Subseqently many 
stones were taken from the ruins to be used as material 
for erecting other buildings, but Benedict XIV., who was 
Pope from 1740 to 1758, put a stop to this dismantling 
process by dedicating the interior to the Passion of 
Christ in memory of the martyrs who had been killed 
at that place. As it is, the Colosseum is no doubt the 
largest and grandest ruin in the world. 

On the western border of the Forum is the Palatine 
Hill, where Rome really had its beginning. Here 



FORUM OF TRAJAN. 27^ 

dwelt Romulus, the founder of the city, and here was 
born Augustus, who later had his great palace on this 
hill. Here was also the Temple of Apollo. The only 
ancient building left is the House of Livia, which is 
thought to have been the home of Tiberius Claudius 
Nero, the father of Tiberius. It contains beautiful 
wall paintings. 

Since systematic excavations on Palatine Hill were 
commenced in 1861 many interesting ruins have been 
laid ,bare, among them the Palace of Augustus, with 
its great throne room ; the Palace of Septimius Sev- 
erus, etc. 

The Forum of Trajan is another place of historic 
interest. In its prime it was considered one of the 
wonders of the world. This square consisted of a group 
of splendid buildings erected A. D. 111-14. Tbepart 
which has been excavated is about 150 by 360 feet in 
size. This space contains four rows of broken columns, 
which mark the site of the Basilica Ulpia, a large place 
of business. On the north side of this splendid build- 
ing stood Trajan's Column, and this alone is in a good 
state of preservation. It is 124 feet high and live feet 
thick, and consists of large round pieces of solid marble. 
A 660 foot series of reliefs, depicting incidents in Tra- 
jan's wars against the Dacians, winds spirally about the 
whole height of the column. There are 2,500 figures 
of men, animals and implements of war. They repre- 
sent the march of a Roman army, the construction of 
bridges, attacks on forts, and ail the incidents of a 
military campaign. Trajan, the Roman Emperor, in 
whose honor the monument was erected, was born about 
56. He died in 117, and was buried under the column. 



280 RA.MBLES IN EUROPE. 

His statue formerly surmounted the shaft, but since 
1587 one of St. Peter stands in its place. The column 
has the appearance of great age, as it well may, since 
it has stood here nearly 1,800 years. It is well pre- 
served and may still last hundreds of years. 

A column similar to Trajan's is that of Marcus 
Aurelius in the Piazza Colonna, a busy square. It is 
embellished in the same manner, with reliefs represent- 
ing events in Aurelius' wars against the Marcomanni 
and other Germanic tribes that lived along the Danube. 
The column is 98 feet high and is now surmounted by 
a statue of St. Paul. It is a monument to Marcus 
Aurelius, a Homan Emperor, who was born in 121 and 
died in 180. This man twice persecuted the Christians. 
In the first persecution Polycarp perished; in the 
second Irenaeus met the same fate. 

Rome also had to have a pyramid. There is one 
near St. PauPs Gate, which was erected B. C. 12 
over the grave of Gains Cestius, and is 120 feet high. 
Like most of the old Roman structures it is built of 
brick and encased in marble. Whilst I may never see 
one of the great pyramids of Egypt, I had the satisfac- 
tion of seeing one which resembles those, although it is 
much smaller. 

The Royal Palace, in which the King of Italy re- 
sides, is located on the Quirinal Hill, in the built-up 
portion of the city. Commenced in 1574, it was sub- 
sequently enlarged several times. This palace was 
formerly the Popes' summer residence, because of its 
healthy location. In this building a number of con- 
claves were held for the election of Popes. Since 1870 
it has been occupied by the King of Italy. We were 



CASTLE OF ST. ANGELO. 281 

shown through the palace and found it one of the 
most beautiful we have seen. There are numerous fine 
paintings in the building. Many of the rooms are very 
large, and in some respects this palace excels the one at 
Windsor Castle, England. 

Rome includes a number of Museums besides the 
one connected with the Vatican. These contain vast 
collections of ancient relics found in and around Rome, 
as well as in Egypt, Greece and other countries. The 
number of objects is so great that the mind cannot 
properly appreciate them, especially when the tourist 
has inspected museums in many other cities. The col- 
lections in these institutions represent the outlay of 
vast sums of money and a great deal of labor and re- 
search. 

On our way back from St. Peter's church we visited 
the Castle of St. Angel o, situated on the right bank of 
the Tiber. This was originally a vast tomb, erected 
by Emperor Hadrian for himself and his successors. It 
is a large circular tower, 210 feet in diameter, whose 
outside was once covered with marble. Marble statues 
covered the top. All the Roman Emperors down to 
217 were buried here. In 537, when Rome was be- 
sieged by the Goths, the Romans turned the tower into 
a fortress, since which time it was used for this purpose 
down to 1379, when the place passed into the posses- 
sion of the Popes, one of whom, Clement VII., in 1527 
went through a fearful siege in it. The tower is sur- 
mounted by a bronze statue of the Archangel Michael 
in the act of sheathing his sword, which commemorates 
Pope Gregory the Great's vision, in which the arch- 
angel is said to have assured him that the plague of 590 
19 



282 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

would come to an end. The ancient burial vaults, the 
chapel of St. Clement, some of the rooms occupied by 
the Popes, and a few dungeons are shown. We as- 
cended to the top of the tower, from which we had a 
fine view of the city. From here we heard the bells 
of St Peter^s church, which produced a fine effect. In 
front of the tower is a fine, wide bridge across the 
Tiber, which was erected by the Emperor Hadrian in 
the year 135. 

There are numerous monuments, obelisks, fountains, 
etc, scattered throughout the city. One of the finest 
monuments is the bronze equestrian statue of Gen. 
Graribaldi, the famous Italian soldier, who did so much 
for the liberation of his native country. 

Rome is a strange mixture of the ancient and the 
modem. Nearly everywhere are to be seen ruins of 
the ancient city in the midst of fine modern buildings. 
The stranger is impressed with this fact as soon as he 
leaves the railroad station. Right in front of it are 
old ruins in the midst of large modern business houses. 

The city occupies an isolated position in at least one 
respect Everything in the line of provisions must be 
brought from a distance. The immediate vicinity is an 
unfruitful, rather barren plain known as the Campagna. 
This is a swampy region, of which only about one- 
tenth is cultivated. The population is very small on 
account of the prevalence of malaria. This is caused 
largely by the overflow of the river Tiber. During 
the winter shepherds dwell there with their flocks, but 
when May comes they betake themselves to the moun- 
tains. But it was not always so. In ancient times 
many beautiful villas stood there and the Campagna 



THE CATACOICBS. 283 

had a large population. This is one of the many in- 
stances of great changes which take place in the course 
of time. It would be difficult to find another large 
city with such desolate surroundings as Eome. 

Our party spent two Lords' Days in the city of Rome, 
One Sunday morning we worshipped with the Metho- 
dists, and found an audience present which completely 
filled the neat little church. The congregation consists 
almost entirely of Americans and students. This little 
flock has been a severe eye- sore to the Pope and his 
party. In the afternoon I attended a lecture by Dr. N. 
W. Clark on Protestantism in Italy. He is superin- 
tendent of the mission work of the Methodist Church 
in that country. This lecture was exceedingly interest- 
ing and full of instruction. The Methodists of America 
and England have about 1 20 preaching places in Italy. 
Of the 42 ministers 39 are Italians. Then there are 
14 local preachers. The Baptists are also doing a good 
work. Whole villages in the northwestern part of the 
country are Protestant, The Waldensians are princi- 
pally in the Piedmont Valley and are well known. 
Miss Garibaldi, a granddaughter of the famous pioneer 
soldier in the cause of Italian unity ( Guiseppe Gari- 
baldi) is at the head of a large Protestant school. The 
attitudeof a large portion of the people toward Protestant 
mission work is quite favorable. Many of the best 
families send their children to mission schools. The 
famous William Marconi, the inventor of tha wireless 
telegraph, had his only son baptized by a Methodist 
minister. 

Of course we had to visit the catacombs near 
Rome. We hired a carriage and left the city through 



284 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

ot the St. Sebastian Gate, which consists of two 
immense towers. After leaving our hotel we passed 
the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, and skirted 
the southern slope of Palatine Hill. Here we saw 
many ruins of ancient Rome. The fact is, in that re- 
gion nothing but ruins is found. Among these are the 
Baths of Caracalla. They are said to have accommo- 
dated 1,600 people. The old Romans had a number of 
such public bath houses. That of Diocletian on the 
Quirinal Hill is said to have had room for 3,600 
bathers. 

At the St. Sebastian Gate we saw a part of the old 
Roman wall which was erected in the year 100. The 
two large towers were erected by Emperor Marcus 
Aure^ius. The wall looks very old, as it really is. 
Immediately beyond the gate stands a monument to St. 
Sebastian, at the spot where he suffered martyrdom in 
288 under Diocletian. He was a captain of the Pre- 
torian guard and secretly a Christian. When the Em- 
peror Diocletian saw that he personally encouraged the 
Christians who were led out to death, he had Sebastian 
tied to a stake and directed archers to shoot him to 
death. A lot of arrows were sent into his body, but he 
was not actually killed. A pious woman named Irene 
took him away and nursed him, so that he recovered. 
As soon as he was well again he boldly faced Diocletian 
and upbraided him for his cruelty. The Emperor then 
directed him to be beaten to death, which was done. The 
art galleries of Italy contain many paintings of St. 
Sebastian with a lot of arrows sticking in his body. 

We were now on the famous old Appian Way, 
which was by an ancient writer ca'led " the queen of 



THE APPIAN WAY. 286 

roads." First constructed in B. C. 313, it is the oldest 
and most famous of all the old Roman roads, and with 
its branches connected all parts of southern Italy with 
Rome. The road is still largely paved with stone 
blocks, as it was in former ages. It has a very solid 
foundation, and its construction must have cost an 
enormous amount of money. In the course of time 
even the Appian Way shared the general destruction 
of this region and became covered with rubbish. Ex- 
cavations from 1850-53 reopened this famous old road 
as far as Albano. 

As we passed along over the dusty Appian Way we 
were reminded of the interesting fact that St. Paul 
journeyed over this same road on his way to Rome in 
the year 61, having been sent there because of his ap- 
peal to Csesar. His eventful sea voyage and land 
journey are interestingly narrated by Luke in the 27th 
and 28th chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. Paul 
landed at Puteoli in the Bay of Naples. At Appi 
Forum and Three Taverns Christian brethren met Paul, 
who, when he saw them, " thanked God and took cour- 
age." He then passed over the Appian Way to the 
the city of Rome. That was over 1900 years ago. 
How interesting to think of these facts as we journeyed 
over the same road ! How different this region was 
then from now ! Then the Roman Empire was still in 
its glory. Having reached the great heathen city in 
charge of the centurion Julius, Paul continued there^a 
prisoner for two years. He was, however, not closely 
confined, but allowed to reside in his own rented house. 
There he employed his time in preaching the gospel to 
the soldiers who had him in their care, and to others. 



286 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

It is said that even some in Caeser's household heard 
the gospel from the lips of Paul. He also wrote sev- 
eral of his epistles here. 

A short distance beyond the St. Sebastian Gate we 
came to the Qfi.o Va'^U church, a small building so 
named from a legend that St. Peter, fleeing from a mar- 
tyr's death, met his Master here and asked : " Lord, 
whither goeth Thou ?" Jesus replied : " To Rome to be 
crucified again," whereupon Peter, ashamed, returned to 
Rome. Near the entrance is a marble stone with the 
impression of a bare foot, and the legend says that it 
was at this identical spot that the two met. The im- 
print is said to be that of the foot of Jesus. One more 
Roman legend ! There is a statue of Christ, whose 
right foot is covered with brass to prevent its being 
worn away by people's kisses. 

In ancient days there were many tombs of promi- 
inent people along the Appian Way. Most of these 
have been obliterated in the course of time. Only a 
few remain. The most prominent of these is the Tomb 
of Csecelia Metalla, a daughter-in-law of Crassus, one 
of the triumvirs of Rome. This is a large circular stone 
structure, 65 feet in diameter. The grave of the lady 
was in the interior. In the thirteenth century this 
monument was converted into a robbers' castle with 
battlements on the top. 

As we rode along the Appian Way the driver 
pointed out the ruins of the Circus of Maxentius, the 
great chariot race course established in 311. The build- 
ing was 1,050 feet long and 268 feet wide. There were 
seats for 18,000 spectators, with a special place for the 
Emperor. The Romans had circuses at various places. 



THE CATACOMBS. 287 

The oldest and largest was the Circus Maximus, which 
was located between the Palatine and Aventine hills. 
It is said to have had a seating capacity of 250,000. 
The site of it is now occupied by the Jewish cemetery 
and the gas works. 

After an interesting drive we reached the Catacombs 
of St. Calixtus. What are the catacombs ? They are 
the subterranean burial places of the early Christians. 
There are some thirty such around Rome, but the prin- 
cipal or largest is the one mentioned above. The 
pagans mostly burned their dead, but the Christians 
buried theirs. The latter had learned the burial cus- 
tom from the Jews. Our guide informed us that dur- 
ing the first four centuries the Christians were not 
allowed to bury on the surface and for this reason the 
catacombs were constructed. During the first few cen- 
turies after the Christian era these artificial caves in 
the earth (for such are the catacombs) were also used 
in times of persecution as places of worship by the 
Christians. In the city they could worship the Lord 
only at the risk of their lives ; therefore they gathered 
secretly in these underground cemeteries. Many such 
were killed whilst thus engaged in worship. As we 
passed through those places we asked ourselves the 
question : Would our present-day Christians be faith- 
ful to God under similar circumstances ? Many are so 
easily kept from public worship by heat, cold, rain and 
other like circumstances. How would dire persecu- 
tion affect their devotion to the Lord ? 

At the entrance to the large catacomb we paid a fee 
and each one was given a wax taper to light his way 
under the ground. Guided by a Trappist monk we 



288 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

now descended a long flight of steps far under the 
ground. It was a new and strange experience for 
us. We wandered perhaps for a mile through narrow 
passages, on either side of which are recesses in the 
walls for the dead. After the bodies were placed into 
these openings in the walls, the fronts were closed up, 
generally with marble slabs. There are numerous in- 
scriptions on these slabs containing the names of the 
deceased, etc. Then there are many pictures painted 
upon them. Many of these are crude. The pictures 
are on Bible themes, such as the raising of Lazarus, 
the deliverance of Jonah from the fish, Baptism, the 
Lord's Supper, the Resurrection. There are also pic- 
tures of fishes, doves, anchors, palms, evergreens, etc. 
There :are a number of pretty large chambers which 
served as places of worship for the persecuted Chris- 
tians. It is believed that they celebrated the Lord's 
Supper here. In some instances there are seats at the 
sides. For some time the Christians were forbidden 
to meet even .in these places. In the year 253 Em- 
peror Valerian issued a decree forbidding " the Chris- 
tians to assemble in those places which they call ceme- 
teries." But this decree was revoked in the following 
year. Subsequently the catacombs were confiscated. 
In 311, after the persecution of Diocletian had ceased, 
they were restored to the Christians. 

It is estimated that 1,000,000 Christians have been 
buried here. Of these about 170,000 were martyrs. 
Among those buried here were sixteen Popes. There are 
some 300 family vaults. In many instances the graves 
of the rich were fitted out with marble, whilst those of 
the poor were very plain. One of the most interesting 
graves is that of St. Cecelia, who was a beautiful Chris- 



THE CATACOMBS. 289 

tian character and a noted musician. She was a sincere 
Christian and refused to worship idols, for which she 
was condemned to death. She was thrown into boiling 
water, but escaped unhurt. The executioner was then 
directed to behead her with the sword. He struck her 
three blows upon the neck, and then fled in horror. She 
died three days later. This was in the year 230. She 
was buried in the catacombs. St. Cecelia is by some 
regarded as the inventor of the organ. In 821 her 
body was removed to the Church of St. Cecelia in 
Rome. There is a reclining marble statue of her at her 
former grave, which was decorated with flowers at the 
time of our visit. There are many portraits of this 
popular saint by Raphael, Rubens and other artists in 
the galleries of Berlin, Paris, Dresden and other places. 

Our guide informed us that at some points there 
are five floors above one another in these catacombs. 
The gangways have an aggregate length of twelve or 
thirteen miles. Ail are cut out of sandstone forma- 
tion. There is a good deal of masoary at places. In 
557 the Goths entered and robbed the catacombs. 
They carried off valuables and many bones as relics. 
The Lombards performed similar acts in 756. Imme- 
diately after the latter date Pope Paul I. directed the 
bodies of many martyrs to be removed to churches in 
Rome for safety. 

In the course of time the Christians were allowed 
to establish burial places on the surface, and gradually 
the catacombs fell into disuse and finally into oblivion. 
During centuries they were actually forgotten. Toward 
the close of the sixteenth century the scientific explora- 
tion of them was commenced, and many of them are 
now open and visited by many people. 



290 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Many shops are open on Sunday in Rome. We saw 
carpenters and cobblers at work. Among the curious 
street scenes were women wearing corsets over their 
dresses. There is great variety in fashions. As else- 
where, the rich and poor mingle. Graudily dressed 
women, beggars, priests, students, monks, soldiers and 
others make up the crowd. In the streets are many 
donkeys used as beasts of burden. 

We were entertained in the Pension Boos, which is 
a wing of a former palace. One wing of the build- 
ing is occupied by an art gallery. In this hotel is a 
clock whose hours are marked consecutively from 1 to 
24. We had breakfast at 7 o'clock, dinner at 13 and 
supper at 19J o'clock. This seemed somewhat odd. 

One of the street scenes we saw in Rome was that 
of a funeral. The hearse was followed by five young 
persons, bearing flowers. The hearse was neatly 
decorated. These young persons were followed by 
about twenty other persons, all on foot. In Europe 
men take off their hats when they meet the hearse of a 
funeral procession. 

Women conduct the news stands in Rome, and 
they perform the functions of newsboys elsewhere. At 
every corner poor women poke papers at passers-by, 
and they also offer tbeir papers to passengers in street 
cars, wherever these stop. They seem to be very poor. 
Many dogs are in the streets of the city, but they are 
all muzzled and therefore harmless. There are many 
water troughs for the horses in the city. This is a con- 
venience which American cities should imitate. With 
us this is usually left to saloonkeepers who expect 
drivers to come inside and drink beer whilst their 
horses drink water outside. 



CHAPTER XVn,-AUSTRIA. 




Yillaeh.— Semmering Mountains and Pass.— Vienna. 
Evangrelical Sermon in Catholic Ghureh.^An Im- 
perial Burial Place.— Sehcenbrunn Palace. 
Trolly Ride Through the City.— Street 
Scenes. 

FTEE, leaving Venice we set our faces 
toward Austria. Our first intended 
stop was Vienna, the capital. We 
rode in a fast express train, but the 
distance was great — 461 miles — and 
the unbroken ride would have occupied 
seventeen hours, including a night, and 
we therefore concluded to break the 
journey. This we did at the town of 
Villach, near the border. 

After leaving Venice we passed through a fine 
agricultural country for a considerable distance. Then 
came an extensive and romantic mountain region. 
Here are the Italian Alps, some of whose tops were 
covered with snow. The railroad leads through many 
tunnels, some of which are quite long, and the country 
reminded us of Switzerland. 

We tarried over night at Villach, in Austria. 
This is a rather quaint old town of some ten thousand 
people, located on both sides of the swift river Drave 
(German, Drau). There is a very old Catholic church 
here. Because of the mountains in the vicinity, the 
place is patronized by many tourists and mountain- 
climbers. Villach is a Catholic town. At the time of 
our visit there were advertised pilgrimages to Lourdes, 
in France, where the Virgin Mary is said to have ap- 



292 RAMBLES IN EUKOPE. 

peared to a young girl on Feb. 11, 1858, and to Rome. 
At the latter place the pilgrims were to have a special 
audience with the Pope. 

On the way from Villach to Vienna we passed 
through the enchanting Semmering mountains, about 
sixty miles southwest of Vienna, on the boarder be- 
tween Styria and Austria. This mountain rises 4,577 
feet above the sea-level. The railroad, as it winds 
along the Semmering Pass, runs through 15 tunnels 
and crosses 16 bridges. It passes over the same small 
stream a number of times, and also cuts across a num- 
ber of narrow valleys. The principal tunnel is the 
Semmering, which is 4,710 feet (nearly a mile) long. 
It requires nearly two hours for a train to traverse 
this mountain region. The railroad was built in 
1850-53 at an expense of $10,000,000. There are some 
heavy grades, and the highest point reached is in the 
Semmering tunnel, viz., 2,940 feet. There is a beauti- 
ful horse- shoe bend in these mountains, but it is a good 
deal shorter than the famous one near Altoona, Pa. At 
one point we saw a train a little south of us going 
apparently in the opposite direction, but presently we 
found it was simply on a different part of the great 
curve, and that we were going the same way. The 
scenery is at places quite wild, and some of the high 
peaks rise almost perpendicularly. Here and there are 
found people living in most obscure places. 

Beyond the Semmering Pass we found a fine agri- 
cultural region and numerous pleasant villages. The 
country yielded rich harvests of hay and grain. There 
were many small hay stacks. The grain was still in 
shocks in the fields. In this region we observed a 



VIENNA. 293 

woman working as a laborer on the railroad-bed with 
a gang of men, and in a certain village we noticed sev- 
eral women serving as hod-carriers ! 

Our party spent several days very pleasantly in the 
large and beautiful capital of Austria, Vienna (Wien 
in German). We reached the city on a Saturday even- 
ing, and found a pleasant hotel located on Mariahil- 
ferstrasse, (Mary Help Street). The hotel clerk in- 
formed us that he could give us rooms on the second 
floor, and this suited us very well. But we were not 
quite so well pleased when we learned where the second 
floor was It all depends upon how people count. 
The first story is consideredthe ground- floor ; the sec- 
ond is the " entresol " — restaurant and reading room ; 
the third is the first floor, and the fourth the second ! 
There we were, on the fourth story, with a small eleva- 
tor which took us up, but never down. 

Vienna is one of the metropolises of Europe, with 
about 2,000,000 population, including 200,000 Jews. 
It is situated on the river Danube. This stream is at 
the edge of the city, therefore the Danube Canal has 
been dug through the more central part to furnish bet- 
ter commercial facilities. 

Vienna is an old city, and occupies the site of the 
Homan city Vindobona, which was founded in the year 
14, and thus took the place of a former Celtic settle- 
ment. It was of little importance until the time of the 
Crusades. In 1276 the place became the capital of the 
House of Hapsburg, whose members have been the 
rulers of Austria ever since. The famous siege of Vi- 
enna by the Turks continued from July 14 to Septem- 
ber 12, 1683, when it was relieved by John Sobieski, 



294 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

of Poland. The great Congress which was held at 
Vienna from September 20, 1814, to June 10, 1815, 
had for its purpose the readjustment of European af- 
fairs after Napoleon's overthrow, and its decisions had 
a far-reaching effect. News of Napoleon's return from 
Elba hastened the signing of the treaty on June 9, 1815. 

Although Vienna contains many really old build- 
ings, some; dating from the thirteenth and fourteenth 
centuries, it is substantially a modern city. Nearly all 
the larger edifices date from the latter half of the nine- 
teenth century. 

It was our intention on Sunday morning to worship 
at the Protestant church, in the centre of the old part 
of Vienna. We were informed that the hour of ser- 
vice was 10.30 o'clock. Having reached the neighbor- 
hood an hour ahead of time, we concluded first to visit 
the grand St. Stephen's Catholic Cathedral near by. 
We found a large congregation present, with a priest 
about to commence preaching. Over one-half of the 
people were standing, only a part of the church being 
supplied with seats. The priest's theme was the Phar- 
isee and the Publican Praying in the Temple. After 
reading the narrative as a Scripture lesson, he preached 
a truly Evangelical sermon. He showed the nature of 
true humility, and stated that God will exalt the hum- 
ble ; but that self-exaltation tends to humiliation and 
rejection on the part of God. The preacher employed 
excellent German, and could be understood by all. This 
sermon would have been in place in any Protestant 
church. At the close of the sermon all present united 
heartily in the Lord's Prayer. This service was re- 
freshing. It was the only sermon we heard in any 



CAPUCHIN CHURCH. 295 

Catholic church in Europe. In all other churches vis- 
ited by us, the priests only celebrated the mass, with- 
out delivering a sermon. It was all formality and 
of a kind which we could not approve. St. Stephen's 
Cathedral is an old church, and richly adorned. It 
dates from 1300 to 1510, and has a tower 450 feet high. 
In the church are found the tombs of Emperor Fred- 
erick III. and Prince Eugene of Savoy, and a memorial 
of Vienna's deliverance from the Turks in 1683. 

But we had lingered too long in this place, for, when 
we reached the Protestant church, we learned to our 
disappointment that the services had commenced an 
hour earlier than we had been informed. However, 
we inspected the building, which is a plain one, with 
galleries, very much like those in our American 
churches. In trying to find this church we met a big- 
oted Catholic. I asked him the way to the Evangelical 
church, but he refused the information and tried to send 
us to the St. Stephen's Catholic church, and added : 
** That; is also an Evangelical church." 

An old church of special interest is that of the Cap- 
uchins, a branch of the Franciscan Order of the Cath- 
olic Church. The order was established in 1208 by St. 
Francis, and grew with wonderful rapidity. It is 
stated that a century after its founding, during the fear- 
ful plague of the Black Death, 124,000 Franciscan 
monks died in nursing the sick and dying. The church 
is located in the centre of the old section of the city 
and is a comparatively small, unattractive building. 
Its principal interest ^for the tourist consists in the 
fact that in its basement (crypt) rest the remains of 132 
members of the imperial family of Hapsburg. The 



296 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

remains repose mostly in elaborate metallic coffins (sar- 
cophagi) and these stand in rows on the marble floor. 
None are buried. A pamphlet in German containing 
a list of these persons states that here " they await the 
resurrection of the dead." Probably nowhere else in 
the world is there such a collection of bodies of de- 
parted imperial persons in one place. Here we were 
in the presence of the bones of 132 Emperors, Em- 
presses, Princes, Princesses, Dukes, Duchesses, etc., 
some of whom were famous in history. In life some 
of them attracted great attention, but now they are all 
silent in death. A Capuchin monk in long gown re- 
cited the names of the departed as we passed by their 
resting places. I can mention the names of only a few 
of them : Empress Maria Theresa, died 1780 ; Napo- 
leon Joseph Carl Franz, son of Emperor Napoleon, died 
at Schonbrunn, Vienna, 1832 ; Ferdinand Maximilian, 
a brother of Francis Joseph, the present Emperor of 
Austria, whom Napoleon III. placed upon the throne 
of Mexico in 1864, where he was shot in 1867 ; the 
parents and the wife of the present Emperor. 

The so called Votive Church is a large, beautiful 
modern house of worship erected in 1856-79 to com- 
memorate the escape of Emperor Francis Joseph from 
assassination in 1853. The front has two beautiful 
lofty spires. This is perhaps the most imposing modern 
church io Vienna. It stands upon the spot where the 
attempt to assassinate the Emperor was made. 

We spent half a day in visiting the beautiful Palace 
at Schonbrunn in the southern section of the city. It 
was formerly a castle. The palace has 1,441 rooms. 
The principal state apartments are shown to the public. 



8CH0ENBRUNN PALACE. 297 

Some of them are in luxurious style. One small 
room is finished in rosewood, and is said to have 
cost $400,000. Six chairs in it alone have cost $50,- 
000. The son of Napoleon died in this palace in 1832. 
Many notable festivities have occurred in its spacious 
halls, especially during the reign of Emperor Joseph 
II. In the year 1801, when the French invaded Aus- 
tria, Archduke Johann had his headquarters at Schon- 
brunn. In 1805 the palace fell into the hands of 
Napoleon, and here he resided from December 12 to 15 
of that year. He called it " a really imperial summer 
seat." In 1809 Napoleon once more had his head- 
quarters here. Five years later, in 1814, Emperor 
Francis I. gave magnificent festivals here in honor of 
the allied monarchs present here at the Great Congress. 
The present Emperor of Austria, Francis Joseph I., 
resides at Schonbrunn usually every spring and fall. 
The summer he usually spends at Ischl, near Salzburg, 
ivhere the imperial family have a villa. 

Schonbrunn palace is surrounded by magnificent 
gardens and a large park, the whole constituting a 
veritable paradise. The gardens are adorned with 32 
statues of marble. In 1908 eighty- two thousand school 
children greeted the aged Emperor in front of the 
palace. He has always been a warm friend of chil- 
dren. The park presents a beautiful picture. The 
trees are trimmed systematically, which makes the vari- 
ous avenues perfectly straight. 

To the west of the palace is located one of the 
largest and finest Zoological Gardens in the world. 
Here is a huge American buffalo, the like of which is 
seldom seen. 
20 



298 EAMBLES IN ET7K0PE. 

In the old part of the city is another imperial 
palacB, a very large old building, with a large open 
equare in the centre. This is known as the Emperor's 
City Palace. 

Vienna possesses many magnificent public build- 
ings. They are large and modern in appearance. I 
can mention only a few. The Museum and the Art 
GraUery are two large buildings well worth a careful 
inspection. They are located a short distance apart, 
and in the centre of the intervening space stands a large 
statue of Empress Maria Theresa. In the rear of this 
monument are the imperial stables, erected in 1725, 
which contain an interesting collection of coronation 
and state carriages, saddles and hunting equipments, etc. 
The Art Gallery contains many paintings by Rubens 
and Diirer. 

The two houses of Parliament are splendid modern 
buildings with^porticos of Corinthian columns. Another 
large and beautiful structure is the " Siihnhaus '^ (House 
of Expiation), erected on the site of the former Ricg 
Theatre, which was destroyed byfireinl881, when 700 
persons perished. The University, founded in 1365, is 
magnificently housed. It has 350 teachers and 6,000 
students, and its medical school is famous all over 
the world, and attracts many students from abroad. 
Probably the largest hospital in Europe is the Public 
Hospital of Vienna, which has 2,000 beds. 

Many of the streets in Vienna are wide and shaded 
with numerous trees. Our party took a five hours' ride 
in an observation trolly car through all sections of the 
great city, which afforded a fine panoramic view. There 
are many fine monuments in the various parts, includ- 



8TEEET SCENES. 299 

ing those to Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schiller, 
Goethe, Field Marshall Schwarzenberg, Prince Eugene 
of Savoy, Archduke Charles, Archduke Maximilian, 
the ill-fated Emperor of Mexico, etc. 

The street scenes noticed during this visit were 
varied and somewhat unusual. Many of the streets are 
paved with stones, and the consequence is great noise. 
Some of the business signs are rather unique. One is : 
"Apotheke zum Heiligen Geist '' (Holy Ghost Drug 
Store). The Germans are noted for the long words they 
employ. Here are a few street names in Vienna: 
Eschenbachgasse, Gumpendorferstrasse, Sechshauser- 
strasse, Mariahilferstrasse, Schwarzspanierstrasse, Uni- 
versitatsstrasse, HauptzoUamtsstrasse, etc. On the 
signs occur such long words as ; Staatseisenbahngesell- 
schaft, Dienstvermittlungsstelle, Hausrathssammelstel- 
le, Lebensversicherungsgesellschaft, DampfschifFahrts- 

gesellschaft. 

Women perform much drudgery work in Vienna. 
We saw a number of women carrying bricks and mor- 
tar up high scaffoldings at new buildings. At one place 
two women were pushing a large cart laden with mortar. 

The Prater is the principal public park, and is large 
and beautiful. It was originally a hunting ground of 
the emperors, but was opened to the public in 1706. 
The park has some beautiful wide avenues. These are 
often filled with the splendid equipages of the rich 
citizens of Vienna. A trolly line leads to the " Lust- 
haus," a popular resort in the park. 

Emperor Francis Joseph, the ruler of Austria, is 
popular and beloved. He has been on the throne since 
1848, a period of sixty-two years. He is now in his 



300 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Slst year. Oq August 18, 1910, his eightieth birthday- 
anniversary was celebrated at Ischl by seventy-five 
members of the Hapsburg family. He ascended the 
throne at the age of eighteen years and has passed 
through many stormy times and much private sorrow. 
Having always been a man of simple tastes, his private 
rooms are furnished in the most unpretentious style. 

In the monetary system of Austria the unit is the 
" krone," and this contains one hundred " heller." The 
heller is equivalent to about one-fifth of an American 
cent. We were often reminded of the fact that in 
translating the Bible into German Dr. Martin liuther 
employed the word " heller " in Matth. 5 : 26, for 
"farthing." 

I After leaving Vienna we traveled westward through 
a fine agricultural region. We passed numerous small 
towns, the houses of which are mostly painted white, 
whilst the tiled roofs are painted red. In Europe gen- 
erally the buildings are roofed with tiles, and these are 
almost universally red. As one looks over a town or 
city from an elevated point, there is a vast expanse of 
red stretched out before him. During the latter days 
of July the farmers were busy in the grain fields. The 
train passed through Linz and Salzburg. We were 
bound for the city of Munich, 272 miles west of Vienna. 
The ride continued from 10 a. m. until 7.45 p. m. and 
was pleasant throughout. 



CHAPTER XVni.— GERMANY. 




Munich.— The Passion Play.— Ober Ammergau. 

UNICH (German Miinchen) is the capi- 
tal of Bavaria, one of the states com- 
posing the German Empire. It is situ- 
ated on the river Isar, a tributary of 
the Danube. The population is about 
600,000. Munich is one of the hand- 
somest cities in Germany and noted 
for its rich art treasures. It was founded 
in the twelfth century by Henry the 
Lion. Some fifty years ago King Ludwig I. spent 
7,000,000 thalers to beautify the city, which now 
abounds in splendid public buildings. 

First of all our party took a tally-ho ride of three 
hours through the city, which was quite interesting and 
satisfactory. Subsequently we visited various public 
institutions, churches, the royal palace, etc. Munich is 
known far and wide on account of its large breweries 
and its great consumption of beer. The breweries pro- 
duce some 50,000,000 gallons annually, and the people 
of Munich are said to drink about four- fifths of that 
quantity. There is no doubt that Munich is the greatest 
beer- drinking city in Germany in proportion to its 
population. There are many very large drinking places, 
and these are usually filled every eve ning. These places 
are open every day of the week and every night until 
three o'clock. Awaking one night at a little after two 
o'clock, I heard many people wal king on the streets, 
and supposed they must be early risers, but to my sur- 
prise I learned that they had not yet retired. Our 



302 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

landlord informed me that frequently from ten to twelve 
barrels of beer are sold in his place on a Sunday. 
And yet notwithstanding the great deal of drinking 
we saw no drunkenness during our sojourn of several 
days. The fact is that, though drinking beer is an al- 
most universal practice in Munich, yet the quantity 
consumed per capita is not as large as in America. Be- 
sides it may be that the Bavarians being accustomed to 
drinking beer daily, are able to stand more than people 
in our country. It is claimed that the cause of tem- 
perance is gaining ground in Bavaria. At a state con- 
vention in Augsburg in October, 1910, it was reported 
that the tax receipts from liquo" had decreased twenty 
per cent, in two years. 

Munich is an art centre. There are several exten- 
sive galleries and museums, filled with treasures of 
many kinds. The two Pinakothek buildings, old and 
new, contain many paintings of superior merit. In the 
old building there are over 1,400 paintings by old mas- 
ters, whilst the new contains 900 by modern artists. 
Fine specimens of both ancient and modern sculpture 
are preserved in the Glyptothek. Among the large 
paintings is the Last Judgment. A large proportion 
of the paintings are on Biblical subjects. One of the 
most interesting of this class represents Jesus and the 
Samaritan Woman at Jacob's Well. 

The Royal Palace is a very large affair, containing 
hundreds of rooms, which are embellished with beauti- 
ful paintings and furnished in costly style. One bed 
room is said to have cost 800,000 gulden to furnish. It 
is stated that forty men worked ten years in decorating 
this room. One artist spent thirty-six years in paint- 



MUNICH. 3G3 

ing pictures in this palace. Napoleon spent some time 
in royal residence here in 1809, and one of the Popes 
also lived here for awhile. There are Idng colonnades 
connected with the palace, one of which is embellished 
with pictures from the history of Bavaria. Unfortu- 
nately Otto, the present King of Bavaria, cannot enjoy 
the beautiful residence, as he is a sufferer from a mental 
disorder. The regent is Prince Luitpold, who is in his 
ninety- first year. 

Among the churches, that of Our Lady is the most 
interesting. This is a large old brick edifice, erected in 
1468_88. It has two massive unfinished towers, 325 
feet high, the exterior of which is rough and by no 
means beautiful Inside the church is the elaborate 
tomb of Emperor Ludwig, the Bavarian, who died in 
1864. Everything about this building has the appear- 
ance of great age, and it is not attractive. 

There are numerous other Roman Catholic houses 
of worship. The oldest is St. Peter's, dating from 1264. 
The Theatine church contains the royal burial vault ; 
the Louis church is embellished with a famous fresco 
painting of the Last Judgment; the beautiful St. 
Mariahilf church is noted for its gorgeous stained glass, 
and fine wood carvings ; St. Boniface church is noted 
for its QQ pillars of gray Tyrolean marble. There are 
also a number of Evangelical churches in Munich. In 
our tour we passed a fine Protestant house of God near 
the centre of the city with this inscription on the out- 
side in large letters: '^Dein Wort ist die Wahrheit" 
(Thy Word is Truth). 

Europeans are fond of monuments, and the people 
of Munich are not behind others in this respect. The 



304 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

most elaborate and beautiful memorial in the city is the 
Temple of Fame, a large Doric colonnaded building 
containing busts of eighty illustrious Bavarians. In 
front of this stands the colossal statue of Bavaria, 
which is 65 feet high, and is a beautiful work of art. 
The Gate of Victory is also a splendid monument^ 
modeled after Constantine's triumphal arch near the 
Forum at Rome. The University of Bavaria has 
some 5,000 students, with a library of over 300,000 
volumes. 

Munich is more noted for art and music than for 
its manufactures. However, its glass factories are of 
superior order and widely known, especially its stained- 
glass works. The beautiful glass in the Second Re- 
formed church in Reading, Pa., was made in Munich, 

The grandest thoroughfare in Munich is the Maxi- 
milian street, at the east end of which is the beautiful 
Maximilian Bridge across the river Isar. immedi- 
ately beyond the bridge is the Maximilaneum, which 
contains a collection of modern historical paintings. 
The above street is wide and along its sides are located 
numerous large and j&ne buildings. From the bridge 
a beautiful view is to be obtained. 

The grandest view of the city is afforded from the 
tower of the fine new City Hall. Two elevators, one 
above the other, carry visitors to the top. The tower 
contains a large clock. 

From Munich we went to the village of Ober Am- 
mergau to witness the famous Passion Play. This per- 
formance is a representation of the sufferings of our 
Saviour during Passion Week and His crucifixion, 
together with two thieves. His experience during this 



THE PASSION PLAY. 305 

period ~ the sufferings in the garden, betrayal, arrest, 
several trials, scourging, mocking, rejection, crucifixion, 
burial, resurrection and ascension are enacted in a very 
realistic manner. There are also a number of excellent 
tableaux of scenes from the Old Testament which have 
reference to Christ. The performers wear Oriental 
robes and costumes, which inhance the general interest. 

Why is the Passion Play rendered? Originally 
and for a long time it was performed as a thank-offer- 
ing to the Lord. In 1633 many villages in the region 
of Ober Ammergau were visited with pestilence. Whole 
families were carried off by the dread disease. In one 
village only two married couples were left alive. It 
was a plague somewhat like the Black Death. Place 
after place fell a victim to its ravages. Ober Ammer- 
gau was not spared. Many people died. The people 
now turned to God and cried to Him for help. They 
confessed their sins and vowed that if God would stay 
the plague they would perform the Passion Play every 
ten years as a thank-offering. The story is that from 
that day the plague ceased. Those who were sick 
recovered and no more became ill. The deliverance 
was like that of the snake-bitten Israelites, when Moses 
lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Whether the 
story is a matter of history, or a mere legend, I cannot 
say. There is no doubt that people generally believe it. 

During a long period of time the original pious 
purpose was strictly adhered to. The play was an act 
of grateful worship, and it was given without charge. 
But alas, in the course of time, like almost everything 
else, it has fallen a prey to commerciaHsm, which has 
turned the famous play into a money machine. Now 



306 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the play is advertised extensively all over Europe and 
America, and vast crowds are attracted to the village 
of Ober Ammergau. The primary object appears to 
be money making. Personating Christ in His agony 
in the garden and repeating His prayers surely seems 
out of place on the stage. 

The theatre in which the play was given was erected 
for the season of 1900 at a cost of 200,000 marks 
($48,000). There are 4,000 seats. In 1900 the num- 
ber of those attending the play was about 200,000. 
The profits are divided into three parts, one-third going 
to the village and two- thirds to the players. In 1900 
the village's share was about $80,000, which amount 
was spent on public improvements. My estimate is 
that on the above basis the village in 1910 received 
$150,000 as its share of the profits. 

Each of our party paid $12 for a ticket, boarding 
and lodging. Including the railroad fare from Munich 
the total cost was nearly $15. Our rooms were on the 
first floor and we slept with open windows in perfect 
security. Dramatically the play is a success, the plain 
people of this quaint village acting their parts very 
well. It took eight hours — four in the forenoon and 
four in the afternoon — to render the performance. 

Ober Ammergau is a quaint, but interesting vil- 
lage. It is located in a narrow valley in the Bavarian 
highlands, between two high Alpine mountains. The 
houses are mostly two-storied, and in many instances 
the roofs are loaded with stones to keep the shingles in 
place. As a rule the gables of the buildings are toward 
the streets. The people generally own small tracts of 
land and every family keeps at least one cow. There 



OBER AMMERGAU. 307 

are said to be between 600 and 700 cows in the village. 
These graze on the Alpine mountains. In the evening 
all of them come home to be milked. Each one having 
a bell, these cows produce singular music. Even the 
horses have bells. There are also many goats. 

Perhaps one-half of the buildings consist of house 
and barn under one roof, as we saw frequently in 
Switzerland and other places. Thus in many instances 
the manure pile is less than fifteen feet away from the 
door of the house. Many of the houses are plastered 
on the outside and some have pictures painted on them. 

The people, numbering about 1,600 and living in 
400 houses, are a plain folk and lead a simple life. 
Many of tte men are wood carvers. They make fine 
crucifixes and other objects purchased largely by Cath- 
olics. Our host, Mr. Hans Mayer, belongs to this 
craft. In the play he acted the part of King Herod. 
He is a venerable looking gentleman and greeted us 
heartily. 

For several years before each play the men and 
youths who expect to take part allow their hair to grow 
long. This makes the older men, who also wear beards, 
look quite patriarchal. 



CHAPTER XDL— GERMANY (Continued). 

Nuremberg:.— Its Castle and Tower of Torture.— Dres- 
den.— Its Art Gallery.— Wittenberg, the City of Luther 
and Melanehthon.— Jueterbog and Tetzel. 




UE. next objective point was Nurem- 
berg in Bavaria. The way to it from 
Munich leads through a rich territory. 
The farmers were engaged in cutting 
wheat on August 1. Hops are exten- 
sively cultivated in Bavaria, great 
quantities being used in the manufac- 
ture of beer. Bavaria is an old coun- 
try. About 600 years before Christ it 
was conquered by a Celtic tribe, which in turn was 
subdued by the Romans a short time before the Chris- 
tian era. After the decline of the Roman power the 
country became a part of Charlemagne's empire. In 
1180 it was transferred to Otto, Count of Wittelsbach, 
whose descendant now occupies the throne. Subse- 
quently it included what was known as the eastern 
Palatinate. In 1805 Napoleon erected Bavaria into a 
kingdom. The king aided Napoleon in his wars, and 
as a reward his territory was much enlarged. In the 
conflict of 1866 between Prussia and Austria, Bavaria 
sided with Austria, and afterwards had to pay Prussia 
$15,000,000. At the beginning of the Franco-Prus- 
sian war in 1870 Bavaria placed its army under the 
command of Prussia ; in November of that year it 
agreed to become part of the German empire, and a 
month later, when the German army was at Ver- 
sailles, near Paris, the king of Bavaria, Louis II., 



310 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

nominated King William of Prussia as Emperor. Un- 
fortunately Louis later became insane, and drowned 
himself on June 13, 1886. He was succeeded on the 
throne by his brother. Otto, who is now also insane^ 
and the country is at present governed by Prince Luit- 
pold as Regent. 

Nuremberg (German Niirnberg) is one of the 
quaintest and most interesting cities of Germany, on 
account of the wealth of its mediaeval architecture. Its 
population is 332,000. Visitors are at once impressed 
with the numerous old-style buildings found here. 
The roofs are high and very steep. Directly opposite 
our hotel is the large old building known as the ZoU- 
amt (custom house), erected 1498-1502. There are 
three stories below the eaves of the roof, and six stor- 
ies above. There are six rows of dormer windows, 
one above the other, presenting a quaint appearance. 
Nuremberg has numerous buildings of this kind, with 
their gables as a rule facing the street. Curiously 
enough even new buildings are erected in imitation of 
the old style. 

There are many old landmarks in the city. The 
ancient city wall of the 16th century is almost entirely 
preserved, with its four very large and 36 small tow- 
ers. Even the moat in front of the wall is still in 
existence, but is, of course, dry. The city extends far 
beyond its wall in each direction. 

Nuremberg contains a number of churches of great 
interest. Near the railroad is the oM Martha Re- 
formed church, standing back a short distance from 
the street. It is a small, plain edifice. In this church 
the noted Hans Sachs instructed children in music. 



NUEEMBERG. 311 

St. Sebaldus is a large old church, originally Cath- 
olic, but given to the Lutherans during the Reforma- 
tion. It still looks like a Catholic house of worship, 
as it remains almost entirely in its original form. On 
the western front is a large figure of Christ, which was 
painted black during the Thirty Years' War to con- 
ceal it from the enemy. In the interior is the tomb of 
St. Sebaldus, which is an elaborate affair. It is by 
the artist Peter Vischer, the noted worker in bronze, a 
native of Nuremberg. He and his five sons are said 
to have been engaged in its construction from 1506 till 
1519. This is regarded as one of the finest works of 
art in Germany. The whole represents a temple. 
The saint's sarcophagus is surmounted by figures of 
the Twelve Apostles ; above these are twelve smaller 
figures representing Fathers of the Church and the 
Prophets. At the base are 72 images of various 
sizes. A figure of the infant Jesus holding in his 
hand the orb surmounts the whole. In the church are 
a number of elegant paintings by Diirer, Rubens and 
other artists, among which are "The Last Supper,'^ 
"Christ on the Mount of Olives," "Judas Betraying 
the Savior," "Burial of Christ," "Last Judgment." 
The pew of Hans Sachs in this church is still pre- 
served and shown. He was perhaps the most famous 
poet of his time in Germany. He composed over 
6000 poems. In the western part of the church is the 
baptistry, including a large receptacle in which child- 
ren were formerly immersed. The old fire box used 
in heating the water is also preserved. St. Sebaldus 
church was erected 1225-1377. 

St. Lawrence church is usually considered the fin- 
est house of worship in Nuremberg. It was erected in 



312 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

1274-1477, and has two beautiful towers, 233 feet 
high, with exquisite stained glass and wood carving. 
It is the largest and oldest Lutheran church in the 
city. 

One of the most interesting places in Nuremberg is 
the old castle. Our party spent some time in inspect- 
ing it. From this place a fine view over the city, with 
its numerous smoke-stacks and red tile roofs, is afford- 
ed. Some distance west of Nuremberg is a tower 
which marks the place where Wallenstein had his 
camp in 1632. The castle was founded in 1030 and 
was formerly a royal residence. Five years ago the 
German Emperor and Empress spent some time here. 
The rooms they occupied were shown us. Everything 
connected with the castle looks very old, both paint- 
ings and furniture. In the courtyard stands a very 
old lime tree. It is claimed to have been planted by 
the wife of Henry II., who was crowned king of the 
Germans in 1002. Here there also is a very deep 
well which was dug in 1563 — nearly 350 years ago. 
It was sunk through solid rock and its construction 
occupied many years. The well is 335 feet deep, and 
furnishes excellent water. It takes six seconds for 
water poured into the well to reach the bottom. A 
lady in charge, who spoke fine German, demonstrated 
the fact to us. She also lowered a light to the top 
of the water, so that visitors might look all the way 
down. There are two deep subterranean passages 
near the bottom of the well — one leading to the Rath- 
haus and the other to the old prison. The former is 
still open. In one of the rooms of the castle is a large 
stove made in 1505. In connection with the castle is 



NUEEMBERG. 313 

the Heathen Tower erected in 1056, so called because 
its exterior is covered with pictures of human heads. 
Then there is the five-cornered tower, which is the 
oldest building in Nuremberg. 

Another interesting, but gruesome place connected 
with the castle is a tower filled with a large collection 
of ancient implements of torture. They forcibly re- 
minded us of what has been called ''man's inhumanity 
to man." I can mention only some of these cruel 
devices : The rack, upon which persons were stretched ; 
a cradle with many sharp spikes in the bottom and 
sides, in which criminals were rocked ; a wheel by 
which persons had all their bones broken ; ladels for 
pouring hot metal upon the victims^ backs ; instru- 
ments to cut out tongues and destroy eyes, etc. The 
worst of all is the so called Iron Maiden — an upright 
and hollow form of a woman, with a door in front. 
The inside is full of sharp spikes. After the culprit 
had been placed into the instrument the door was 
slowly closed, and the sharp spikes driven into the 
body from all sides, two of them penetrating the eyes. 
The pain thus inflicted upon the unfortunate prisoner 
cannot be described. When death had finally come to 
his relief the corpse was dropped into a machine below, 
which ground it into small pieces. These were then 
cast into the stream Pegnitz and carried away. The 
collection also includes numerous swords used in be- 
heading people, one of which descended from father to 
son to the fourth generation of executioners. 

Then there were also milder forms of punishment 
for lesser offences. For instance, bakers who sold 
bread that was under weight were placed into a cage 

21 



314 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

and then dipped under water as many times as their 
loaves were short in ounces. 

It is difficult to realize that such acts of inhuman- 
ity could ever have been practised in a civilized coun- 
try, but it must be remembered that stages of civiliza- 
tion are not far removed from barbarism. When one 
looks upon these instruments of torture, he no longer 
questions whether the world has been growing better. 
Such inhumanity cannot now occur in any country 
which claims to be civilized. One fairJv shudders 
when he thinks of the many people who have been 
tortured and murdered by means of such instruments 
as those exhibited here. It is astonishing how many 
offences were punishable with death in former ages. 
Blackstone mentions 160 such in England, four-fifths 
ot which had been made so duriug the reigns of the 
first three Georges. For example, people were put to 
death for counterfeiting the stamps used in the sale of 
perfumery and hair powder ! It was a capital offense 
to harbor an offender against the Revenue Acts. 

The guide informed us that some of these instru- 
ments of torture were used in Nuremberg and else- 
where as late as 1830. On the upper floor of the 
Tower of Torture is an effigy of a noted robber knight, 
named Eppelein of Garlingen, who was a prisoner 
here. One day he asked permission to ride his horse 
in the castle yard once more before his execution. This 
request being granted, he caused the horse to leap over 
the wall to the ground far below. The poor animal 
was killed, but Eppelein escaped, declaring as he ran 
away : ^^The Nurembergers do not haug a man unless 
they first catch him.'^ Three years later he was re- 



NUREMBERG. 316 

captured and executed. A depression in the coping of 
the wail is pointed out as having been made by the 
hoofs of the horse as he leaped over the wall. But the 
coping is of solid stone, which fact disproves the story. 

The Nurembergers keep alive the memory of many 
noted citizens by means of monuments. Among them 
are those of Albert Diirer, Hans Sachs (with his dwell- 
ing house near by), Melancthon, Emperor William I., 
Martin Behaim, the great navigator and explorer, etc. 
There is also a Monument of Victory erected in 1876. 

There are a number of public fountains, among 
them the Beautiful Fountain (1385-1396), a Gothic 
stone pyramid in three tiers. In the loiter part are 
the seven Electors, several pagan heroes, besides some 
Jewish and Christian characters. Above are Moses 
and the seven Prophets. Of modern date is the 
Neptune Fountain. The Fountain of the Virtues 
consists of female statues representing the virtues, sur- 
mounted by a statue of Justice with a crane, the latter 
the symbol of vigilance. The "Gooseman^^ is a small 
fountain in the form of a man carrying a goose under 
each arm. Water is streaming from the mouths of the 
geese. The legend connected therewith is that during 
the Thirty Years' War Nuremberg was under siege, 
and no one could leave or enter the city. The people 
were at the verge of starvation, but there was a man 
in the country who possessed many geese. He knew 
of an underground passage into the city, and through 
it he supplied the people with geese, and thereby saved 
their lives. This good man must have had very many 
geese to supply a whole city ! 

Another small fountain is that of tl^e Bagpiper, 
with water streaming from a bagpipe. There is also a 



316 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

legend connected with this fountain. Many years ago 
the pestilence prevailed in Nuremberg, and many peo- 
ple died in the streets. It was the duty of an under- 
taker to pass through the streets every morning with a 
team, gather up the dead bodies and convey them to 
the cemetery for burial. Now there was a certain bag- 
piper who was much given to drinking. One day he 
was lying drunk in the street, and the undertaker, 
making his daily round, thought him dead, loaded him 
upon his wagon with a number of corpses, and drove 
away to the cemetery. There the bagpiper revived 
out of his stupor, stood up in the wagon and com- 
menced to speak. The undertaker was almost para- 
lyzed with fear, thinking that one had arisen from the 
dead. 

These two legends were rehearsed by a sprightly 
boy of ten years, who insisted upon acting as our guide 
to the two latter fountains. He recited these legends 
in excellent German. When paying him a small fee 
we noticed that his hands were discolored and asked 
the reason. He answered that he helped to make toys. 
This called to mind an interesting fact. One of the 
industries of Nuremberg is the manufacture of wooden 
toys, including dolls. These goods are made mostly 
by women and children, and are widely known in 
Europe and America as "Nuremberg goods," They 
find a ready sale. Our little guide of ten years is 
already a breadwinner. In America there is a strong 
protest against child labor, and properly so, but in 
Europe children enter the struggle of life much earlier 
than in our own country. An official report states 
that in Austria one- half of the children employed in 



NUREMBEKG. 317 

factories commence to work before th ey are eight years 
of age, and many do this before they have completed 
their sixth year. In agricultural regions hundreds of 
children receive only their board and certain articles of 
clothing. The balance of the clothing must be pro- 
vided by the parents. 

There are numerous buildings of historic interest 
in Nuremberg. Many of them were pointed out to us 
during a tally-ho ride through the city, such as : The 
house in which Albert Diirer was born on May 21, 
1471 ; the house in which Hans Sachs resided from 
1542 until his death in 1676; the Holy Ghost Hos- 
pital, founded in 1331 ; the house of the bookseller, 
John Philip Palm, who was shot by order of Napoleon 
on August 26, 1806, because he had published a 
pamphlet entitled " Germany in the Deepest Humilia- 
tion," which contained some severe criticisms of Napo- 
leon and the conduct of the French troops ; the Town 
Hall (1620-22) with the old prison, from whose dun- 
geons subterrannean passages led to the castle and other 
places. 

In the stream Pegnitz is a small rocky island on 
which some Swedish soldiers are buried, who diV d dur- 
ing the occupation of Nuremberg by Gustavus Adolphus 
in 1632. 

The people of Nuremberg accepted the Reformation 
doctrines at an early day. In 1619 and 1522 the City 
Council had forbidden the publication and circulation 
of Dr. Martin Luther's writings, but this did not stop 
the new movement which made such rapid progress in 
Nuremberg that already in 1524 the communion was 
administered in both kinds to 300 persons. Priests 



318 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

were allowed to marry^ and in 1526 all cloisters in 
Nuremberg were abolished. 

The Nurembergers claim the honor of having built 
the first railroad in Germany, viz., the line from Nur- 
emberg to Fiirth in 1835. 

Every visitor to this city must be sure to eat some 
" Bratwurstglocklein." What are these? They are 
very small sausages, fried and served in a restaurant 
quite near the St. Sebald church. The sausages are 
very palatable and are served with ^* Sauerkraut." One 
of our party required two servings of " Bratwurst- 
glocklein" to satisfy his appetite. 

The country between Nuremberg and Dresden is 
beautiful, and such is the case generally with Germany. 
Farmers were engaged in harvesting their splendid 
crops of wheat and rye in the early days of August. 
Here as elsewhere we were impressed with the late- 
ness of the season compared with Pennsylvania, on 
account of the higher latitude. Among the reapers 
were some women who were swinging the grain cradle, 
and more were working with the sickle. We saw some 
children taking care of large flocks of gees'e. Very few 
farmers in this region live on their farms, but in vil- 
lages. Besides the beautiful country, the tourist is 
impressed by the splendid rural roads. 

Dresden, the capital of Saxony, is situated on the 
river Elbe, 116 miles south of Berhn. The city 
derives its importance largely from the fact that it is 
the place of residence of the royal family of Saxony, 
and from its magnificent art collections. It has over 
500,000 inhabitants. The river Elbe divides Dresden 
in two sections — Altstadt and Neustadt. Nearly all 



DRESDEN. 319 

the places of general interest are located in the latter 
part. Five bridges, of which one, dating from the 
twelfth century, is now being rebuilt, span the wide 
river. 

The place of chief interest in Dresden is the Muse- 
um, containing the famous picture gallery, which ranks 
with those at Paris and Florence as among the finest 
in the world. There are over 2600 paintings in this 
collection. The most famous picture in the collection 
is Raphael's Sistine Madonna, which is exhibited in a 
room almost by itself This is undoubtedly one of the 
finest pictures in the world. The longer one beholds 
it, the more he is charmed by its great beauty. The 
room is always filled with visitors, and many linger a 
long time to gaze upon the marvellous painting, which 
is 8 feet high and 6 feet wide. It represents the Vir- 
gin Mary and the Child Jesus in the clouds, with Pope 
Sixtus on the right, St. Barbara on the left, and two 
beautiful cherubs beneath. The picture was painted 
by Raphael about the year 1515 for the church of the 
Benedictine monks of St. Sisto, in Piacenza, northern 
Italy. Hence the name *'Sistine.'' In 1753 Frederick 
Augustus, Elector of Saxony, purchased this famous 
picture for $45,000, the monks contenting themselves 
with a copy. The Italians have always envied the 
Germans on account of this wonderful piece of art, and 
well they may. 

In the large gallery are represented the great artists 
of many schools. Many of the paintings of Peter Paul 
Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Diirer, Raphael, Hol- 
bein, Vecehio and many other noted artists are found 
here. One of the most beautiful pictures represents 



320 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Jesus in the Temple among the Doctors. We secured 
postal card copies of many of the most famous pictures 
in all the galleries visited, but unfortunately no card of 
the last named painting could be obtained. Among 
the most interesting subjects in this collection I may 
mention these : The Tribute Money, Three Sisters, 
Adoration of the Shepherds, Finding of Moses, Abra- 
ham's Sacrifice, numerous Madonnas, Adoration of the 
Magi, Crucifixion (by Diirer), Diogenes with his Lan- 
tern, Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple. 
Besides the paintings there are many thousands of 
engravings and drawings. 

The Zwinger, which adjoins the Museum, also con- 
tains some paintings, beside large collections of Zoolog- 
ical, Ethnological, Mineralogical and other specimens, 
many of which date from prehistoric times. 

The Royal Palace in Dresden, founded in 1530-37, 
has gradually grown in size. Its interior is becom- 
ingly decorated by the frescoer^s art. On the ground 
floor is the so-called Green Vault, accessible to visitors, 
and containing a rich profusion of gems, relics, curiosi- 
ties, etc. I can mention only a few of the many ob- 
jects preserved here : Luther^s Goblet, a present from the 
Elector John Frederick in 1539; Gustavus Adolphus' 
Bible ; clock in the form of the Tower of Babel ; drink- 
ing vessel of Luther (crystal) ; green diamond, 48 J 
carats in weight ; a ladies' bow with 662 diamonds ; 
Luther's signet ring ; a large collection of mediaeval 
Saxon coins and medals. A fabulous sum of money is 
represented in this treasure house. 

Near the Elbe stands the Court Church (Catholic) 
which was erected in 1738-51. Seventy-eight statues of 



DRESDEN. 321 

saints and a tower 305 feet: high ornament its exterior. 
Under the sacristy are located the royal burial vaults. 

The Church of Our Lady, with a towering dome, 
is a large Lutheran sanctuary, erected in 1726-43. It 
is considered the finest church in the city. In front of 
it stands a Luther monument, modeled after the one at 
Worms. 

The new City Hall is a large, grand affair of recent 
date. At the time of our visiL it was not yet opened, 
but was expected to be inaugurated before the close of 
1910. 

An interesting spot in Dresden is the " Jiidenhof " 
in the former Jewish section, where there was at one 
time a synagogue. In the pavement is a stone with the 
mark " Kr.," which indicates the spot where Chancellor 
Krell was beheaded on October 9, 1601. This man 
died as a religious martyr. In Germany the Reforma- 
tion was intimately connected with civil affairs. Those 
in authority claimed the right to dictate the faith of the 
people. Chancellor Krell took sides with the Crypto- 
Calvinists, who held the Calvinistic doctrine of the 
Lord's Supper, but not of predestination. This brought 
Krell into conflict with the Formula of Concord of the 
Lutherans, who were then in power. The result was 
that he was convicted of heresy and beheaded. This 
fact indicates the " fury of the theologians,'' from which 
Luther prayed to be delivered. Krell was certainly 
far less deserving of death than Servetus, who was exe- 
cuted in Geneva by the Reformed, because he was a 
blasphemer. Such things cannot happen now. 

The new Reformed church in the Friedrich's Ring 
is a fine building, which was erected in 1894. 



322 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Many Dresden ers decorate the outside of their 
houses with flowers. At some large hotels and other 
buildings all the window sills are covered with gerani- 
ums, etc., and thus present a bea^utiful appearance. 

Dresden is noted not only for its fine arts, but also 
for its excellent schools. Many Americans send their 
children to this city to learn German and French. 

We spent several hours at Falkenberg, a village, 
which gave us an opportunity to see how the country 
people live. In this region, as in so many others, all 
the people reside in villages or towns. Practically no 
separate dwellings are found in the country. Falken- 
berg is a place of considerable size, with wide streets. 
Nearly all the houses are only one story high. Many 
of them stand some distance apart. In numerous 
instances barns front toward the streets. Some of the 
citizens have small farms right in the village. At a 
certain place a lady was putting coal into her cellar. 
In Germany, Italy and other European states all the 
soft coal is marketed in briquettes. Those for domes- 
tic use are about the size of paving bricks, whilst those 
for the railroad engines and other purposes are much 
larger. Great piles of coal blocks are found at every 
railroad station. The lady at Falkenberg informed us 
that there is no waste in the coal and very little dirt 
connected with the handling of it. The blocks can 
easilv be broken, if desired. 

The good Falkenbergers have erected a modest, but 
neat monument to the memory of their fellow citizens 
who perished during the wars of Prussia with Austria 
in 1866 and with France in 1870-71. The monument 
bears this pious inscription : "Gott war mit uns, Ihm 



WITTENBERG. 323 

die Ehre.'^ The people are a plain folk, and evidently 
industrious and frugal. A few days before our visit 
they had a ** Turn Fest," and some of the decorations 
in honor of the event were still in position. The 
numerous beer tables in front of several saloons showed 
that the people did not suffer for the want of "wet 
goods." 

It was a source of great delight for our party to 
visit the town of Wittenberg, one of the cradles of 
the Reformation in Germany. The town is not large 
now, and was much smaller in the sixteenth century, 
but here the bugle blast of the Eeformation was 
sounded in no uncertain tone, and from here went 
forth influences which convulsed nearly the whole 
country. On October 31, 1517, Luther nailed his 
celebrated ninety-five theses to the doors of the 
Schloss Kirche in Wittenberg, and this act is gener- 
ally regarded as the real beginning of the Reformation 
in Germany. Luther performed a large part of his 
great work while residing in Wittenberg. Aside from 
its religious associations, which attract thousands ol 
tourists every year, the place would be of little impor- 
tance. 

Wittenberg, like Dresden, is situated in Prussian 
Saxony, and also on the river Elbe, which is here 800 
feet wide, and sixty miles southwest of Berlin. The 
population is about 22,000. The place is first men- 
tioned in 1108. It was the residence of the Dukes 
and Electors of Saxony from 1212 to 1422. At the 
eastern border of the town we saw the first object of 
interest — a large oak tree which marks the spot where 
Martin Luther on December 10, 1520, publicly 



324 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

burned the Papal Bull (Decree of the Pope) by which 
he was excommunicated from the Koman Church for 
preaching the Evangelical doctrines. 

As is well known, Luther had been brought up in 
the Catholic Church and been ordained a priest. He 
had also been an Augustinian monk at Erfurt. In the 
course of time he realized his sinful condition and 
searched the Scriptures for relief. The means offered 
by the Church did not satisfy him. While in the city 
of Rome in 1511 he sought peace by ascending the Sa- 
cred Stairs, which were formerly a part of Pilate's 
Judgment Hall in Jerusalem, and which Jesus is sup-^ 
posed to have ascended. Then as now people believed 
that by ascending this stairway on their knees and re- 
peating the Lord's Prayer upon each step, their sina 
would be forgiven. Luther tried this plan, but found 
it unsatisfactory. When half-way up the stairs the 
passage : " The just shall five by faith '' flashed into 
his mind, and he arose and left the place. He subse. 
quently found the true source of forgiveness and peace — 
the Lord Jesus. Then his preaching the true gospel 
brought him into conflict with the authorities of the 
Church, and after efforts to induce him to recede from 
his position had failed, the Pope issued his Bull. But 
Luther was a conscientious man and a hero. Instead 
of yielding the truth, he publicly burned the Papal 
Bull. This act of Luther required a high degree of 
courage. The Pope was the man who had the power 
to put men upon thrones and to depose them at will, 
but here was a plain preacher who feared not to take a 
firm stand against the mighty Pope. The case reminds 
us of David and Goliath. Luther's heroism had its 
ground in God. 



WITTENBERG. 



325 



Next we came to the Augusteum, erected in 1564- 
«3 as a moaastery, but in 1817 converted into a Theo- 
logical Seminary. In Luther's time a school was con- 
ducted here. The lecture room is shown visitors. 
Connected with this place is Luther's house, in which 
he resided in 1508, when he was called from Erfurt to 
occupy a chair in the University of Wittenberg. He 
also occupied the house at a later period, and in 1526 
it was presented to him by the Elector. At the en- 
trance is this inscription : " Here Dr. Martin Luther 
lived and labored from 1508 to 1546." 

This house is now a Luther Museum, containing 
numerous objects relating to the great reformer and his 
time. In one room are a drinking goblet of Luther, 
but broken ; his table, bench and stove, the latter being 
of enormous size and made according to Luther's own 
directions ; parts of his pulpit from the city church, in 
which he often preached ; portraits of Luther, his wife 
and others. Luther's study remains practically as it 
was in his day. In this room he translated the New 
Testament. (The O'd Testament he translated in the 
Wartburg, near Eisenach.) In another room are sev- 
eral old paintings on wood. One represents the Ten 
Commandments in allegorical form, with a rainbow. 
The picture is said to represent a value of a million 
marks ($250,000). Another picture represents^ a 
vineyard, which the Protestants are cultivating, whilst 
the Catholics are destroying, Christ meanwhile motion- 
ing the priests away. There are also numerous por- 
traits of Luther, his parents and others; copies of 
Luther's betrothal and marriage rings ; letters of Lu- 
ther, keys of the castle church, numerous medals of 



326 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Reformation times, many books of the same period, 
both from friends and enemies of the Reformation ; a 
model of the beautiful Luther monument at Worms ; 
first edition of Luther's works, etc. The lecture room 
of Luther contains the old platform and seat occupied 
by the Reformer whilst teaching, also '^ the arms of the 
four faculties of Wittenberg University, and portraits 
of Luther, Melancthon and the Electors of Saxony.*' 
The several rooms of the old Luther house are devoid 
of paint and exceedingly plain. 

We next visited the home of Philip Melancthon, 
Luther's right hand man. They lived almost next- 
door neighbors. Melancthon's house also remains prac- 
tically as he left it at his death. The iront of the 
house bears this inscription in German : " Here resided, 
taught and died Philip Melancthon." His study con- 
tains his original writing table, three candle sticks, a 
wash stand and a money chest. The bed in which the 
reformer died is preserved in an upstairs room. The 
house is pretty large and well preserved. In the gar- 
den in the rear of the house is a large stone table from 
Melancthon's time. The old well is still in use, and 
our party drauk some of its clear water. 

Here lived and labored as neighbors two men who 
did more to reform the religion of Germany than any 
other two persons, and their memory is held in grateful 
remembrance throughout Protestantism. They fought 
a good fight. Theirs was also a hard fight. It was a 
conflict between the true gospel and the dead formalism 
of the Roman Church. Luther at times felt as if he 
were face to face with the evil one. This feeling 
became so real to him whilst engaged in translating the 



WITTENBEEG. 327 

Bible in the Wartburg that at a certain time he seized 
his inkstand and hurled it at Satan, as he supposed. 

The University of Wittenberg, which was founded 
in 1502 by Elector Frederick the Wise, and in which 
Luther and Melancthon had been professors, was 
removed to Halle by Napoleon in 1816. The old Uni- 
versity building, close to Melancthon's house, is now 
used as a barracks for infantry. 

After a substantial dinner, including pigs' feet, we 
proceeded to the old and famous castle church, which 
contains the graves of Luther, Melancthon and others. 
The church is located at the western end of the town. 
It was erected in 1493-99. It was upon the wooden 
doors of this church that Luther nailed his famous 
ninety- five theses on October 31, 1517. During the 
Seven Years' War the Austrians in 1760 bombarded 
Wittenberg, and the wooden doors were burned. They 
were replaced in 1858 with bronze doors which now 
bear the theses in raised Latin letters. The interior of 
the castle church is of great interest. At the rear end, 
which we entered, are the graves of twenty- seven Elec- 
tors. In front of the pulpit are the graves of Martin 
Luther and Philip Melancthon. Luther died at Eisle- 
ben in 1546, whilst Melancthon died at his home in 
Wittenberg in 1560. Then there are memorials of 
Henning Goden, Elector Frederick the Wise and John 
the Constant, In the Sacristy are portraits of the Re- 
formers. The church was also seriousjy injured in 
1813-14, bat was fully restored in 1885-92. The re- 
opening service in 1892 was attended by Emperor 
William II., present ruler of the German empire. Un- 
der the gallery are the words in large letters : " Eine 



328 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

feste Burg " (A Strong Tower). There is a tower 289 
feet high. It was a rare privilege to stand at the 
graves of the two foremost reformers under the pulpit 
from which they preached the true gospel with wonder- 
ful power. And the people have not yet forgotten the 
truth. Wittenberg is a thorougly Protestant town. Of 
the 22,000 people all but abour 700 are Protestants, 

In the centre of Wittenberg is the City Hall, a very 
old looking building. It was erected in the sixteenth 
century and restored in 1768, and contains the archives 
of the town. In front of this building are the bronze 
statues of Luther and Melancthon. The square base of 
Luther^s statue contains four inscriptions, the most 
prominent of which is as follows : 

"Ist's Gottes Werk, 
So wird's bestehen. 
Ist's Menschen Werk, 
Wird's untergehen.'^ 

This is a quotation from Luther's declaration, which, 
being interpreted, means : " If this is God's work, it 
will stand. If it is man's work, it will fall." 

The " Stadt Kirche " (city church) is also an inter- 
esting place. It is two hundred years older than the 
castle church, having been erected in the fourteenth 
century. Luther often preached in this church, and 
here in 1522 the communion was for the first time 
administered in both kinds. The church stands in an 
open square. There are two interesting paintings in 
this church. One represents Melancthon as adminis- 
tering the communion, and in the other one Luther is 
preaching to a small congregation, in which the two 
foremost figures are his wife and son. Everything in 



JUETERBOG. 329 

this building has the appearance of great age. Along- 
side of the city church is a small building bearing the 
name of Corpus Christi Chapel, which also dates from 
the fourteenth century. This is an interesting relic of 
the past. Many of the streets of Wittenberg are nar- 
row, and the houses are mostly old and small. 

After leaving Wittenberg on our way to Berlin we 
passed through the town of Jiiterbog. This place 
reminds us that the notorious John Tetzel resided here 
and sold *' indulgences " - forgiveness of sins in advance 
for the living, and deliverance from purgatory for the 
departed. The Pope at Rome was in need of money, 
and the sale of indulgences was used as a means for 
securing it. Tetzel was a Dominican friar. He had a 
box, still preserved, in the church of St. Nicholas, into 
which he cast the money received from the sale of his 
peculiar goods. It is charged that he used to exclaim : 

" Wie das Geld im Kasten klingt. 
Die Seel aus dem Fegfeuer springt." 

(As the money jingles in the box, the soul escapes from 
purgatory.) This sacrilegious traffic greatly aroused 
the indignation of Luther. He declared : " God will- 
ing, I will beat a hole in his drum," and soon after 
nailed his famous theses upon the church door. Tetzel 
was forced to leave Jiiterbog and he went to Frankford- 
on-the-Oder, where he published some counter theses 
and publicly burned those of Luther. The town has 
a population of over 7,000. 
22 



CHAPTER XX.-CITY OF BERLIN. 



The German Capital.— Emperor William II.—" Unter den 
Linden."— Monuments and Public Buildings.— The 
Royal Palace.— The Dom.— Other Churches. 
Relisrious Conditions.— Postsdam and 
Sanssouei—Charlottenburg— Beau- 
tiful Mausoleum. 




UR party spent some days in the city of 
of Berlin, the capital of the German 
Empire and of the Kingdom of Prus- 
sia. It is the third city in Europe in 
size, having a population of over three 
million people, including the suburbs, 
and is located on the river Spree, which 
divides it into two parts, and in the 
very centre of Germany. The city is 
built upon a very level site, perhaps more so than any 
other city we visited. The population has increased 
rapidly in recent years. In 1871, when it became 
the capital of the German Empire, it was 826,000 ; 
now it is, as stated, about 3,000,000, including a gar- 
rison of nearly 25,000 soldiers. 

Berlin is an old city. In the thirteenth century the 
central part was inhabited, but for a long time it was 
little more than a fishing village. It was of little im- 
portance until the time of that noble ruler, Elector 
Frederick William, who ruled from 1640 to 1688. 
After he had succeeded in uniting the various duchies 
into the state now known as Brandenburg, he made 
Berlin the capital of the state, and its growth and im- 
portance date from that time. Frederick William gave 
the persecuted Huguenots of France an asylum in 



THE GERMAN CAPITAL. 331 

his country, and in this way received many of the best 
citizens of that country. France did not know that 
she was banishing her very best citizens to Branden- 
burg, America and elsewhere, but such was the fact. 
Two weeks after France had issued the edict which 
drove 400,000 Huguenots out, Frederick William issued 
an edict welcoming them to his country. Five thou- 
sand of them came and settled in Berlin. They aided 
greatly in making the city prosperous. Many of the 
newcomers were expert mechanics. Their descendants 
claim that their Huguenot fathers taught the Germans 
many useful trades. The gentleman who showed us 
the splendid French Eeformed church near the centre 
of the city made the same claim. He stated that be- 
before the coming of the Huguenots the people of Ber- 
lin " were as dumb as beans." 

Many thousand other Huguenots settled in other 
parts of Brandenburg, now included in Prussia. Fred- 
erick William^s wife encouraged and aided her husband 
in his kind treatment of the Huguenots. She was the 
beautiful and noble Electress Louisa Henrietta, well- 
known as the composer of several of our best German 
hymns, including '^ Jesus, meine Zuversicht." She was 
a descendant of the great French admiral Coligny. 
She was as pious as she was beautiful, caring nothing 
for fashion, but devoting her life largely to charity and 
religion, whilst her husband was always ready to de- 
fend the persecuted Frenchmen. When the German 
army invaded France in 1870 it is said that some forty 
of the principal commanders were descendants of the 
Huguenots who were driven out of France after the 
revocation of the edict of Nantes in 1685. It was a 
kind of home-coming, but one with a vengeance. 



332 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Under Frederick the Great, Berlin continued to 
prosper. But its most rapid growth has been during 
the last forty years, since the erection of the German 
Empire. Berlin is now a large and beautiful city. 
There are said to be 600 streets, 65 public squares, 48 
bridges across the river Spree, 700 public buildings, 
and about 300,000 dwellings. Very many of the latter 
are apartment houses. The population is very much 
congested. It is asserted that 60,000 families live in 
one room each, and one- tenth of the population is said 
to live in cellars. There are single buildings in which 
as high as 1,000 persons are housed. The very poor 
in Berlin have a hard lot. There are many unem- 
ployed men standing or sitting in public squares. The 
buildings in the newer part of the city present the ap- 
pearance of great solidity. Evidently the people of 
Berlin do not believe in so-called *^ sky-scrapers," like 
some in American cities, for in 1877 the height of 
buildings was limited to 72 feet. 

The most prominent and best known street is the 
wide avenue called Unter den Linden. It is 198 
feet wide and about two-thirds of a mile long, extend- 
ing from the Brandeoburg Gate in the west to the 
monument of Frederick the Great in the east. It de- 
rives its name from the fact that there are two rows of 
lime trees near the centre of the street. Between these 
rows is a wide passage for pedestrians, and between the 
trees and the pavements are two driveways. This 
wide street is lined with the priacipal stores in the city, 
and on it frout several palaces and other public build- 
ings. The eastern end or beginning of the Unter den 
Linden is at the Lustgarten, where the large Palace of 



EMPEEOR WILLIAM II. 333 

tha present emperor, the Cathedral, etc., are located. 
We had read much about this great street, but we were 
disappointed in one respect — the trees are rather small 
and many of them have a sickly appearance. Some 
are dead, and others appear as if they were in a dying 
condition. 

Our first stroll led us through the Avenue of Vic- 
tory in the famous Thiergarten, a beautiful park in the 
western part of the city. This is a magnificent street, 
which has been adorned at the expense of the present 
emperor with 32 statues in fine white marble of Prus- 
sian rulers, beginning with Margrave Albert the Bear 
of 1170. The monuments stand at short distances from 
each other and are suitably inscribed. One of the in- 
scriptions is : " Margrave Henry the Child ;" another : 
" Margrave Otho the Lazy." There are 16 monuments 
on each side of the street. 

Presently we came to the Brandenbii^;: Gate. In 
approaching it we noticed persons burryiug iorward and 
the police motioning the people off the street. This 
looked like an indication that something of special in- 
terest was about to occur, and so it was. We had 
hardlv reached the curb of the street when three 
white automobiles came rushing along at great speed. 
The second one was occupied by Emperor William II. 
and the Empress. We readily recognized him. All 
the people cheered. The party was on the way to the 
country for a morning ride. About an hour later, when 
we had reached the neighborhood of the palace, the 
imperial party returned and we had the opportunity of 
seeing Ibe emperor a second time. We considered this 
a rare treat, for whilst we inspected some fifteen royal 



334 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

palaces during our tour, William II. was the only 
reigning monarch we were permitted to see. On the 
following day we saw one of the emperor^s sons, Prince 
August William, at Potsdam. He is a fine looking 
young man. 

Emperor William reached the imperial throne of 
Oermany at the age of twenty-nine years, in 1888. In 
that year Germany had three emperors — William I.; 
his son, Frederick III., and the latter^s son, William 
II., the present ruler. The first named ruled 33 years. 
He commenced his military career with the campaign 
against the first Napoleon in 1814, and closed it with 
the war against the third Napoleon in 1870-71. His 
son, Frederick III., ascended the throne as a sick man 
and died three months later, when his son, the present 
emperor, entered upon his reign. 

Emperor William II. is^an aggressive ruler. He is 
constantly advocating a larger army and navy. Some 
are of the opinion that he has designs upon England. 
On the other hand, because the German nation is rap- 
idly increasing and France is stationary or decreasing, 
some Frenchmen fear that the time may come when 
their country will be conquered by the Germans. The 
German people, however, do not seem to have a war- 
like spirit. They appear to have had enough of war. 

The Thiergarten begins at the western end of Un- 
ter den Linden, and is entered through the Brandenburg 
Gate, built in imitation of the Propylsea at Athens, in 
1789-93. Great Doric columns form fine passages, 
the middle ones for vehicles and the lateral ones for 
foot-passengers. The gate is surmounted by a figure 
of Victory riding in a chariot drawn by four horses. 



MONUMENTS. 335 

West of the gate are fine marble statues of Emperor 
Frederick III. and Empress Victoria. 

Near the Brandenburg Gate are several objects of 
interest. The most striking one is the Monument of 
Victory, 200 feet high, erected in 1884 to commemo- 
rate the restoration of the German Empire. The mon- 
ument rests upon a huge square base, above which are 
60 cannon, in three rows, captured from the Danes, 
Austrians and French. The whole is surmounted by 
several eagles. This is one of the most imposing mon- 
uments in Europe. It bears this inscription : " Das 
Dankbare Vaterland dem Siegreichen Heere.'' The 
monument cost over $5,000,000. 

Nearby is the colossal national monument to Prince 
Bismarck, erected in 1901. Upon a granite base stands 
the great Chancellor in bronze, and about him are ar- 
ranged four groups : Atlas bearing the globe ; Siegfried 
forging the imperial Sword ; Constitutional Authority 
tramping upon sedition, and Statecraft seated upon a 
Sphinx. In close proximity are the monuments to 
Gen. Von Moltke and Gen. Roon. Nearby are the 
offices of the general staff of the army, where Gen. 
Von Moltke died in 1895. He was the famous tacti- 
cian of the German armies in Austria in 1866 and in 
in France in 1870-71. Von Moltke was a great lin- 
guist, and could speak seven languages. But he 
was a very quiet man, wherefore it was said he could 
keep silent in seven languages. Some distance east- 
ward stands the large and beautiful Hall of the Im- 
perial Diet, erected 1884-94, at a cost of $5,000,000. 
" The central structure is covered by a huge glass dome, 
bearing a lantern encircled with columns and sur- 



336 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

mounted by an imperial crown (225 ft.). At the cor- 
ners are four towers, 195 feet high, on which are figures 
typifying the industries and occupations of the Ger- 
man people. Between these are the names of the Ger- 
man princes reigning in 1871." The building presents 
a fine and imposing appearance. Here the National 
Congress of Germany holds its sessions. 

Going eastward we passed the statue of Frederick 
the Great in bronze, which stands in the centre of the 
street Unter den Linden, and is 44 feet high. It was 
erected in 1851. On the pedestal are representations 
of scenes from the king's life. 

Near the statue, on the south side of the street, is 
the palace of Emperor William I., which is now occu- 
pied by Prince Henry. This was erected in 1834-36. 
The apartments of William I. and Augusta are kept 
as they were. Here resided the old emperor in far less 
splendor than the rulers of the present day. 

The University of Berlin, although established only 
in 1809, is a large institution, with nearly 400 profes- 
sors and instructors, and over 8,000 students. The in- 
stitution is housed in the former palace of Prince 
Henry, which was built in 1748-66. It possesses a 
library of 300,000 volumes. Many noted men have 
been connected with the faculty of the university, 
such as Fichte, Hegel, Schieiermacher, Neander, Lep- 
sius, etc. The Royal Library nearby is located in a 
magnificent new building, not yet completed. 

The Zeughaus (arsenal) is a large and interesting 
museum. It was commenced already in 1694, and 
completed in 1706. " It is a square structure, each 
side of which is 295 feet in length, enclosing a quad- 



THE EGYAL PALACE. 337 

rangle 125 feet square.^' This buildicg con tains a vast 
collection of all kinds of instruments of war — instru- 
ments for killing people™ from a small pistol to large 
cannon, and specimens of all kinds of arms of ancient 
and modern times. Formerly implements of war were 
very crude as compared with those of the present day. 
On the walls are fine large paintings of military 
achievements, including the surrender of Napoleon at 
Sedan, and incidents of various other wars. The Zeug- 
haus is a popular place. Thousands of people were in 
the building at the time of our visit. This collection 
affords a good opportunity to study the art of war. 

We had the pleasure of inspecting the large palace 
of Emperor William II., which is in the central part 
of the city. Here the imperial family resides during 
the greater part of the year. During the summer it 
occupies the New Palace, a short distance west of 
Sanssouci. (See below.) The city palace is the largest 
of the seven or eight that are in and near Berlin. It has 
some 700 apartments. Nearly all parts of this place are 
open to the public, except those used by the imperial 
family. Here, as at Coblentz, we were furnished with 
large slippers, with which we slid through the rooms, 
in order that we might not injure the highly polished 
floors. We could really not walk, because the slippers 
would fall off" our feet. They reminded us somewhat 
of the snow shoes which people in the far North wear 
to slide over the snow and ice. 

The palace is 650 feet long and 380 feet deep, and 
is built around two large courts. The four- story build- 
ing is 98 feet high, and its dome rises to the height of 232 
feet. The original castle here was erected by Elector 



338 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Frederick II. in 1443-51. It has since been enlarged 
and changed. There are four entrances, one in the 
centre of each side. The palace abounds in large and 
beautiful paintings and costly furniture. There are 
numerous portraits of Electors, Kings and Emperors. 
The picture gallery, 197 feet long, is now used as a 
banquet hall. Of special interest to us was the beau- 
ful "White Room, because here in 1613 Elector John 
Sigismund, the ruler of Brandenburg, declared himself 
in favor of the Reformed faith. This declaration meant 
a great deal, especially when we remember that he 
had been brought up a Lutheran and that his people 
were overwhelmingly of that persuasion. The feeling 
against Galvanism was so intense at that time that it 
was a common thing to name a dog " Calvin." The 
palace chapel is a fine place of worship. (The Emperor, 
when in the city, usually attends services in the 
Cathedral.) 

On the west side of the palace stands the elaborate 
monument to Emperor William 1., which was erected 
in 1897. It represents the Emperor as riding a horse 
led by the genius of peace. 

We paid two visits to the Dom or cathedral church, 
which is located quite near the palace, on the east 
side of the Lustgarten. This is a beautiful modern 
building erected in 1894-1905. The building is 344 
feet long, 246 feet wide, and its dome is 102 feet in 
diameter, surmounted by a cross. Whilst a very large 
building, the place of worship is not large, the seating 
capacity being 1,960. A large portion of the building 
is occupied by a memorial chapel, and a wedding and 
baptismal ehapel. 



THE DOM. 339 

The new cathedral stands upon the site of an humble 
edifice which was erected between 1747 and 1750 by 
Frederick the Great, and restored in 1820 by Frederick 
William III. Until that time the Dom was a Re- 
formed church. In 1817 it was included in the then 
formed United or State Church, but Frederick William 
III. stipulated particularly that the authority of the Re- 
formed Confessionals should not be abrogated through 
the Union. The Hohenzollern or ruling family of 
Germany has for generations belonged to the Reformed 
Church. In 1871 the idea of erecting a metropolitan 
cathedral worthy of Protestant Germany was advanced 
by the crown prince, afterwards Emperor Frederick. 
The foundation stone was laid by the present emperor 
on June 17, 1894, and the church was dedicated on 
Feb. 27, 1905, so that the work was executed in less 
than 11 years. The site, which is closeto the eastern 
arm of the river Spree, on the island which contains 
the royal castle, and the great edifices of the Royal 
Museum and National Galleries, necessitated very elab- 
orate foundations. The east side of the cathedral rises 
straight out of the water. The new edifice is built of 
Silesian gray sandstone, in the style of the Italian 
Rennaissance. The central cupola, with the cross which 
surmounts it, reaches a height of 374 feet, which is 
nine feet more than the height of St. Paul's in London, 
and only 79 feet less than the height of St. Peter's in 
Rome. The cost of erection was $3,500,000. This is 
the first Protestant cathedral (Reformed and Lutheran) 
erected in modern Germany, and was intended by the 
Emperor William to be the Metropolitan Protestant 
church of the German empire. 



340 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

The dedicalion of the Dom in 1905 took place in 
the presence of the Emperor William and many state 
officials and army officers. There were also present by 
personal invitation three representatives of the Re- 
formed, Lutheran and Presbyterian Churches of Amer- 
ica. Dr. John H. Prugh, of Pi'^tsburg, then president 
of the General Synod, represented the Reformed Church. 
When the procession entered the new church its bells, 
as well as the bells of all Protestant churches of Berlin, 
began to ring, announcing that the ceremony of conse- 
cration had begun. The same thing happened at the 
close of the impressive service. 

The Memorial Chapel on the north occupies a large 
part of the Dom. It contains the tombs of a number 
of eminent persons, such as Frederick William, the 
Great Elector, who died in 1688 ; King Frederick I,, 
who died in 1713, and Emperor Frederick III., who 
died in 1888. Here is also a large statue of Prince 
Bismarck. Below is the HohenzoDern Burial Vault, 
to which the coffins of 87 members of this ruling family 
have been transferred. This vault is not open to the 
public. 

We attended worship in the Dom on Sunday, August 
7. Over the entrance are ths passages in German : " Lo 
I am with you alway, even to the end of the World " — 
" This is the Victory that overcometh the World, even 
our Faith." The interior is beautiful. There are 
statues of Luther, Zwingli, Melancthon, Calvin, Fred- 
erick the Wise, Joachim II., Philip the Magnanimous 
and Albert of Prussia. In the attic are ten figures of 
the Apostles, with Christ in the centre. These are 17 
feet high. There are reliefs of Luther, Matthew, Mark, 



THE DOM. 



341 



Luke and John. The vaulting of the great dome is 
adorned with representations of the nine beatitudes. 
In the rear of the altar is a beautiful window, not very 
large, with scenes of the birth, crucifixion and ascen- 
sion of Christ. Above the altar is the inscription : 
" Be ye reconciled unto God." The minister wore a 
gown and surplice. The service was plain, and the 
sermon good, but the acoustics of the church are so bad 
that we could not understand a large part of the dis- 
course. The large dome causes a pronounced echo. 
The singing was vigorous. Three old familiar hymns 
were sung — "Ehre den Herrn, den machtigen Konig 
der Ehren'' ; "Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott," and 
"Mit unserer Macht ist nichts gethan." There is a 
separate small gallery for the royal family, and another 
for the ministry. Every seat was occupied, as might 
well be expected. A large proportion of those present 
were strangers. The service was conducted by Court 
Preacher Kritzinger. His text was : "If God be for us, 
who can be against us?'' Romans 8: 31. He referred 
to the Lord's help in achieving victory in 1870. Alter 
the regular service the Lord's Supper was administered, 
for which only the communicants remained. There 
are some half a dozen pastors connected with this 
church, whose members number many thousands. 

It was a grand sight, at the close of the service, to 
see hundreds of people descending the beautiful steps. 
Some lingered to view the building. It was a perfect 
day. As we stepped from the church into the Lust- 
garten (a beautiful flower-garden) a large military band 
was playing "Dixie," "Marching through Georgia" 
and other selections. It need hardly be stated that 
this music was pleasant to our ears. 



342 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Of the sixty Protestant churches a number date 
from the thirteenth century. Some have been erected 
during the last thirty years. The St. Peter's church 
has the loftiest spire in the city, being 315 feet high. 

Berlin is poorly supplied with churches, there being 
about 75, for a population of about 3,000,000, but a few 
more than we have in our city of Reading, Pa., with a 
population of less than 100,000. Over 80 per cent, of 
the population of Berlin is Protestant. Nearly all these 
people belong to the United or State Church, which was 
formed by a forced union of the Reformed and Luth- 
eran Churches in 1817. State Churches always pro- 
duce a deadening effect upon spiritual religion. Here 
all people must be members of the church in order to 
enjoy their civil rights. The consequence is that many 
join the Church as a matter of form, but are indifferent 
to religion. Then many of the ministers are rational- 
ists, who fail to preach the pure word of God. The 
number of churches is out of ail proportion to the pop- 
ulation. It is said that if all the servant girls in Ber- 
lin alone would propose to attend church at a given 
time there would not be sufficient seats for them. Not 
many years ago if was stated that there was a certain 
district in the city with a population of 80,000 and 
only one church, and this one with only 500 seats. 
In recent years a good deal of mission work has been 
done in Berlin. Emperor William is said to encour- 
age the founding of more churches. 

The following figures, which appeared in a religions 
paper in September, 1910, show the religious destitu- 
tion of Berlin : St. John's congregation, including 75,- 
000 souls, with five ministers and one church with 1 ,200 



FRENCH CHUKCH. 343 

seats ; the Redeemer's congregation includes 63,000 
souls with five ministers and one church with 1,200 
seats J the Emaus congregation includes 102,000 souls, 
the Holy Cross congregation 104,000 souls, St. An- 
drew's 57,000, Schoenberg 77,000. 

The French Reformed church on French street is 
an imposing building, with a beautiful dome. An in- 
spection revealed the fact that it is more of a memorial 
than a church. The larger part is occupied by a lecture 
hall and various other rooms. One room contains por- 
traits of the pastors of the church and of John Cal- 
vin, pictures of Huguenots leaving France after the 
revocation of the Edict of Nantes, etc. The western 
part of the building contains the church proper, but 
this is not very large in proportion to the size of the 
building. There are seats for about one thousand per- 
sons. Everything is quite plain. There is no altar, 
and the communion table is a common piece of furni- 
ture. . There are about 5,000 souls of all ages belong- 
ing to this French Reformed church. The services are 
conducted in the French and German languages, alter- 
nating every Sunday. The services are conducted in a 
simple form and usually continue about an hour. Un- 
fortunately they are not well attended, because most 
of the members reside at a great distance from the 
church. 

This church was erected in 1705 by French Re- 
formedlpeople. An inscription at the western end is as 
follows : " Gott zur Ehre, der Gemeinde zum Segen. 
Unter dem Schutze der Hohenzollern erbaut 1705. Er- 
neuert 1905." Originally the members resided in the 
immediate vicinity of the church, hence the name of 



344 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

French street. In the course of time their properties 
became very valuable, being located in the heart of 
Berlin, which led most of them to sell out and locate in 
the outskirts, where property was cheap. Many of them 
can now live on the income from the money they received 
for their properties. This largely accounts for the small 
attendance on Sundays — 50 to 100 at the German ser- 
vice and 150 to 200 at the French. Only those per- 
sons can became members who are able to prove by 
documentary evidence that they are descended from 
French Huguenots. (On page 331 the reader will find 
something about the French Huguenots who flocked to 
Berlin and Brandenburg.) 

A short distance north of the French church is a 
Lutheran church very similar in appearance. There is 
only an opera house between the two buildings. 

In front of a Lutheran church stands a fine monu- 
ment to Luther, which is surrounded by figures of Me- 
lancthon, Reuchlin, Ulrich von Hiitten, Bugenhagen 
and other reformers. This is in one of the older sec- 
tions of the city. 

The heart of the city of Berlin is situated upon an 
island in the river Spree. Here are the large Boyal 
Palace, the Dom, three Museums and the National Gal- 
lery. The latter contains many beautiful paintings. 
The collection embraces over 1,100 paintings, 233 
sculptures and 30,000 drawings, mostly by German 
artists. The Old and the New Museums contain vast 
collections of ancient and modern relics. They are 
especially rich in specimens from Egypt. Some one 
has said that persons can study Egypt better here than 
in Egypt itself. The Old Museum contains a collection 



CITY OF BERLIN. 345 

of 90,000 coins. The Emperor Frederick Museum 
was erected as late as 1898-1903, and opened in 
1904. In the latter place are also some fine paintings. 
Some represent scenes from the life of Joseph. One 
represents the reformer John Huss being led to the 
stake. With uplifted eyes this saint firmly walks to 
the place of execution. 

There is a vast number of statues in various parts 
of the city to the memory of rulers and other eminent 
men. 

On Sunday the business houses in Berlin are all 
closed ; only the candy shops and restaurants are open. 
The latter all sell liquor on Sunday. There is natur- 
ally much drinking, but we saw no cases of intoxica- 
tion on Sunday in Berlin. Crowds of people visit the 
museums, picture galleries and parks on Sunday. 

There are more than 10,000 Jews in Berlin. This 
is a small number comparatively. (In the city of New 
York there are 900,000.) Those in Berlin have a large 
new Synagogue which was erected in 1866. Its in- 
terior is richly decorated and has a gilded dome 158 
feet high. There are seats for 3,000 persons. 

The Zoological Garden contains one of the largest 
collection of animals in Europe. The Botanical Gar- 
den at Schoneberg contains some 25,000 specimens. 

The E-eichsbank (Imperial Bank) has a capital of 
$30,000,000 and 218 branch offices. This institution 
is to Germany what the Bank of England is to the 
British Empire. 

Berlin is a great manufacturing city. Its industries 
are of many kinds. Of course beer is one of the most 
prominent. More than 50,000,000 gallons are brewed 
23 



346 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

here every year. It is, however, an eocouragiDg sign 
that the consumption of beer is on the decrease in Ger- 
many. It is reported that during the last ten years it 
has decreased 15 quarts per capita. It is gratifying 
that Emperor William is encouraging temperance. 
Last November, in formally opening the new naval 
academy at Miirwicb, he urged the cadets to abstain from 
liquor and to join temperance societies. He said that 
the nation which in the future used the smallest amount 
of alcohol would march at the head of the column on 
the fields of art and war. 

Formerly Leipzig was the formost publishing centre 
in Germany, but now Berlin occupies this place. There 
are some 600 periodicals published in the capital, in- 
cluding about 30 daily papers. 

The people of Berlin generally speak excellent Ger- 
man. Although there are very many dialects used in 
the country, in this city we heard only excellent lan- 
guage. We were somewhat surprised that our Penn- 
sylvania German dialect is entirely unknown among 
them. One of our party frequently tried to use his 
native dialect when English was not understood, but it 
always failed. To our amusement the same friend also 
tried Pennsylvania German on the Italians, but they 
only shook their heads. 

We felt we had to see Potsdam and Sanssouci, six- 
teen miles southwest of Berlin, on the river Havel. 
The population is about 60,000. There are several 
places of much interest in this city. The first one 
reached from the station, after passing a statue of Em- 
peror William I., is the Town Palace, "originally 
erected about 1660, but dating in its present form from 



POTSDAM. 347 

1751." Here resided Frederick William I. and Fred- 
erick the Great, Frederick William was afflicted with 
gout and spent much time inside the palace. To while 
away the long hours he painted a picture of a lady, 
but when finished it was found that he had given her 
two left feet. The amateur artist explained the error 
by saying that no doubt it resulted from the fact that 
he constantly suffered great pain in his left foot. The 
picture is still shown. Its two left feet present an odd 
appearance. Instead of a stairway in the palace he 
caused an incline plane to be built, so that he could 
go up and down in a roller chair. 

The southeastern part of this Town Palace was 
occupied by Frederick the Great, son of Frederick 
William I. He was in many respects a peculiar man. 
In the corner of the palace is a small room shut off by 
double doors, so that he could be absolutely private and 
not be overheard by any one. In this room he also 
dined at times with intimate friends. There is a large 
table, around which he and his guests sat. The central 
part is so constructed that it can be let down into the 
kitchen. In this way the table could be supplied with 
food without any waiters entering the room. Outside 
this room stands a lime tree which is said to be two 
hundred years old. At this spot people would stand 
with petitions to the king when they could not reach 
him in the ordinary way. When Frederick appeared 
at the window the people held up their petitions, and 
he would send for them. 

The sleeping and other rooms of Frederick the 
Great are preserved as he left them. The latter part 
of his life was spent in the one-story palace at Sans- 



348 EAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

souci, one-half mile northwest from here. (See below.) 
The king had a body-guard of 100 soldiers, each of 
whom bad to be 6 J feet tail. The apparatus by which 
recruits for the guard were measured is still in existence 
and is shown to visitors. There are numerous paint- 
ings in the palace, but everything looks old and in 
striking contrast to the more modern palaces. . 

An interesting story is told about Frederick the 
Great in connection with his body-guard of tall men. 
The captain once met an Irisman of large size, whom 
he wished to enlist for the guard. Patrick hesitated 
because he rould not speak German, but the captain 
had a plan for overcoming the difficulty. The king 
usually asked new recruits three questions : How old 
are you ? How long have you been in service ? Have 
you a uniform and rations ? So the captain " coached" 
the Irishman and told him how to answer the ques- 
tions. He was to answer that he was thirty years old, 
had been in service three months, and had both (uni- 
form and rations). But unfortunately the king re- 
versed the usual order of the first two questions and 
Patrick's answer caused him to ask an unusual one as 
the third. The conversation turned out thus : *^ How 
long have you been in the service ?" " Thirty years." 
" How old are you ?" " Three months." The king 
was now wrothy and asked : "Am I a fool, or are 
you?" The prompt answer was: "Both." We are 
not told whether Patrick was accepted. 

In this Town Palace is a large room filled with 
mounted birds and animals of many kinds which were 
shot by William II., the present ruler. Our guide 
stated that the emperor had shot 50,000 animals and 
birds, which is hard to believe. 



SAN8S0UCI. 349 

The Garrison Church, located a short distance west 
of the above palace, was erected by Frederick "William 
I. in 1731-35. It has a steeple 290 feet high, and a 
beautiful pulpit between massive marble columns. 
About 1400 soldiers usually attend worship here. In 
a vault back of the pulpit rest the remains of Fred- 
erick William I., the founder of the church, and Fred- 
erick the Great. In this vault several interesting 
events occurred. Here in the presence of the remains 
of the two eminent men Frederick William III. of 
Germany and Alexander I. of Russia met and formed 
a friendly alliance on Nov. 4, 1805. In 1806 Napo- 
leon visited the tomb of Frederick the Great and said 
to his associates : *' Hats off. If he were still living,, 
we should not be here." 

The Friedens (Peace) church in the town contains 
the tombs of Frederick William IV., who died in 1861 ; 
Emperor Frederick III., who died in 1 888, father of 
the present emperor; Frederick's wife, who died in 
1901, and their sons Waldemar and Sigismund. The 
Brandenburg Gate at Potsdam, which leads to Sans- 
souci, is a copy of the Trajan's Arch at Rome. 

We now proceeded to the palace at Sanssouci, whose 
approach is through a park and vast flower-gardens. 
Many steps lead up to the building. At the approach 
is the statue of Emperor Frederick III., erected in 
1 903. Next we reached the Great Fo untain which sends 
its waters to a height of 130 feet. To our ngret it 
was not in action at the time of our visit. The twelve 
figures surrounding the basin are by French sculptors 
of the 18th century. Next we came to the equestrian 
statue of Frederick the Great. 



350 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Saassouci is a one -story palace, which was erected 
by Frederick the Great in 1745-47. Here the eccen- 
tric monarch spent the latter part of his life. The 
building is 320 feet long and 39 feet high. In its front 
are beautiful flow^er-beds. The rooms are nearly alto- 
gether as Frederick left them at his death. On the 
west side is Voltaire^s room. This man was a great 
favorite with Frederick and spent much time here. 
Then follow the rooms of Frederick William IV., in 
one of which he died in 1861. There are many fine 
paintings in the palace. In the concert room is a small 
clock which Frederick the Great himself used to wind. 
This clock stopped at the moment of his death at 2.20 
a. m. on August 17, 1786. The hands of the clock 
still point to that time, the clock never having been 
wound since. Farther on is the room in which Fred- 
erick spent his last days a:nd died. There is a small 
statue of him sitting in his chair during his last days. 
He died in a chair at a window which is pointed out to 
visitors. There is also a death-mask of him in the 
room. 

The library of Frederick the Great is kept intact 
and contains about 1,000 volumes, nearly all in French. 
There are also some specimens of the king^s handwrit- 
ing and a drawing or design of the palace by himself. 
There is a picture gallery with a considerable number 
of portraits and paintings. 

Frederick the Great was a great friend of dogs. He 
had a number of these animals in his time, and estab- 
lished two small cemeteries for them at the eastern and 
western ends of the garden in front of the palace. At 
the eastern end are eleven dogs' graves in regular rows, 



SANSSOUCI. 351 

with a square stone upon each grave, containing the 
name of the dog. At the western end there are two 
such graves. There is a story that the king had re- 
quested to be buried aside of his dogs, but this request 
was disregarded and he was laid to rest in the Garrison 
Church as stated above. 

Immediately west of the palace of Sanssouci is the 
famous old windmill property, about which Frederick 
the Great had a controversy with the owner. The mill 
obstructed the Emperor's view and he wished to pur- 
chase the property, but the owner refused to sell, be- 
cause he had inherited it. The story is that Frederick 
took forcible possession of the old mill and had it torn 
down. The owner took the matter into court and that 
body decided in his favor, and the king was compelled 
to restore the mill. Although a powerful monarch, he 
gracefully accepted the situation and declared : " Thank 
God that my country has good laws and honest judges." 
The old mill is an object of much interest to tourists. 
It is now royal property. 

A short distance west of the mill is the '^ Orangery," 
a large edifice in the Florentine style, 990 feet long, and 
completed in 1856. In front of the centre of the build- 
ing is a marble statue of Frederick William IV. On 
a terrace in front of the place are '^ the interesting as- 
tronomical instruments from the former Jesuit College 
at Pekin, cast in bronze by Chinese artists in 1673 and 
brought to Europe by the German troops in 1901." 
But how were they secured ? They were taken away 
during the Boxer uprising, when an allied army marched 
upon Pekin and took possession of the city. To say 
that the German troops brought them to Europe is a 



352 EAMBLES IN EUEOPE. 

polite way of stating an act of questionable propriety. 
The instruments are valuable. 

Still a little farther west is the New Palace, although 
also erected by Frederick the Great in 1763-69. It is 
now the summer residence of the present Emperor. It 
contains 200 apartments, and, of course, many of them 
are beautifully furnished. Emperor Frederick III., 
father of the present ruler, died here on June 15, 1888. 
He was born here in 1831. The palace is 700 feet 
long and its erection cost about $22,500,000. All of 
the above buildings are surrounded by fine parks. 

We had to visit also Charlottenburg, formerly three 
miles west of Berlin, but now adjoining the city. There 
is a royal palace here where Emperor William I. spent 
much of his time. The palace is large and fine, but 
much plainer than most others. This was the favorite 
dwelling place of Emperor William I. In the chapel 
here he was confirmed, and in the same place his son, 
Prince Henry, brother of the present Emperor, was 
married. The spot where the aged father sat on this 
occasion is marked by a brass tablet. Since that occa- 
sion no service has been held in the chapel. In this 
palace Emperor Frederick III. spent ten weeks during 
his last illness in 1888. The palace was erected in 
1695-99 by Frederick I. for his wife Sophie Charlotte, 
after whom the town was named. The town has a 
population of 266,000 people. The place has grown 
enormously in recent years. In 1880 the population 
was only 30,000. 

We visited the Emperor William Memorial Church, 
which was erected in 1891-95 in memory of the first 
Emperor of the new German Empire. It has a spire 



MAUSOLEUM. 353 

370 feet high and an elaborate interior. There are 
many pictures of Bible scenes, with portraits of Christ, 
Moses, the Archangel Michael, John the Baptist and 
others, and statues of four Evangelists in the attitude 
of blessing. Near the altar is the imperial pew, richly 
decorated. There are also four pictures of scenes from 
the life of Emperor William I., in whose honor the 
church was erected. 

After walking some distance through a large park, 
largely of pine trees, we reached the beautiful white 
marble Mausoleum, erected in 1810. In this struc- 
ture rest the remains of Frederick William III. and 
his wife Louisa, and those of his second son. Em- 
peror William I. (died 1888), and of his wife Augusta, 
(died 1890). On top of the sarcophagus of each rests 
his or her statue in recumbent posture. These statues 
are of the finest white marble. Everything connected 
with the Mausoleum is of marble. Here in a some- 
what secluded spot in the park rest the remains of these 
eminent people. 

In returning from Potsdam to Berlin on a Saturday 
evening we found an enormous crowd of people at the 
Potsdam Bahnhof. How to get away safely without 
being run down either by trolly car or automobile was 
the great question. Finally we were enabled to board 
a car that took us to our hotel. In Berlin the car fare 
is usually two cents. For this sum one can ride a 
great distance. In a general way the car fares in Eu- 
rope are only about one-half as high as in America. 
Ours is a land of trusts and high prices. 

After leaving Berlin we set our faces westward 
toward Holland. Our way led us through Hanover and 



354 EAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

Osnabriick. The former city has a population of 250,- 
000. It contains many buildings of the fifteenth cen- 
tury, but the larger part of it is modern. It is the 
capital of the Prussian province of Hanover. Osna- 
briick is a town of some 60,000 people. 

The western part of Germany, through which we 
passed, is a fruitful, level region. The country is 
beautiful. The people were engaged in harvesting ex- 
cellent crops. In one field I counted fifteen women at 
work. Here and there a windmill was to be seen. 
This was an indication that we were going toward the 
Netherlands. At Loehe we changed to a Dutch train. 
The notices in the car told us of the change. One on 
the door was : " Niet open en voor de trein stillstaat " — 
(Not to be opened until the train stops.) The German 
language is noted for its many long words. But the 
Dutch language can also make some claims in this line. 
A circular of a steamboat company in Amsterdam con- 
tains this word: Havenstoombootdienst. At Deven- 
tere we passed over a long bridge which crosses the 
river Yssel, a branch of the famous Rhine. We were 
now in Holland, speeding toward Amsterdam. The 
country is very flat and there is much lowland. It is 
almost entirely a grazing country, and there were many 
fine cows in the fields. The windmills made their ap- 
pearance, as well as numerous canals. The day was 
spent and night was approaching. There was a glorious 
sunset. It was very much like a sunset at sea. The 
sun went down suddenly beyond the North Sea at 8.30. 



CHAPTER XXI.— HOLLAND. 




The Low Country.— The Land of Canals and Windmills. 

Amsterdam.— Royal Palace.— Historic Churches, 

Bible Hotel. 

OLLAND is called the Low Country, 
and such it certainly is. A part ®f the 
country is much lower than the sea, 
and the people have ever had to battle 
with its waves. Large embankments, 
called dykes, have been erected to pre- 
vent the sea from inundating the coun- 
try. At times, under great pressure 
from the waves of the sea, the dykes 
have given way, and great damage resulted. The 
Egyptians always sought to lead the waters of the 
river Nile into their fields. On the other hand, the 
Hollanders have ever been concerned to keep the sea 
out. The dykes must always be watched carefully, and 
every small breach instantly repaired for the safety of 
the country. During high storms watchmen are kept 
upon the embankments. In case the waves of the sea 
or the river start a leak, the church bells are rung, and 
the men rush to the dykes with spades and baskets to 
fill up the break, whilst the women go to church and 
pray for God's merciful protection. The river Rhine 
and other streams coursing through Hollandlare gradu- 
ally filling up with alluvial matter, and consequently 
the dykes must be raised from time to time, otherwise 
the whole country would be flooded. Much of the 
present area of Holland has been won from the sea by 
the erection of dykes. On this account Goldsmith 



356 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

says : " The Dutchman has scooped out an empire from 
the ocean," and an old Dutch proverb says : " God 
made the sea, but the Hollander made the shore." The 
state has a special dyke department, which annually 
expends in maintainining the dyke ssixteen million 
dollars. 

Notwithstanding all precautions there is a vast deal 
of water everywhere in Holland. Consequently there 
are many canals for the purpose of draining the country. 
Many huge windmills are employed to pump the water 
from the fields into these canals, otherwise very much 
of the land could not be farmed. Some of the canals 
are also used for purposes of transportation, farmers 
bringing their crops home in boats by them. Canals 
are found not only in the country, but also in some of 
the cities, especially Amsterdam and Rotterdam. These 
cities are somewhat like Venice in Italy, where there 
are canals everywhere in place of streets, and where 
people go about altogether in boats instead of vehicles. 
In Amsterdam and Rotterdam large vessels are con- 
stantly passing through the cities. 

Again, these cities are like Venice, because they are 
founded upon piles driven into the marshy soil which 
serve as foundations. Many large buildings rest upon 
such piles. 

Holland is mostly a grazing country, and there is 
comparatively little grain raised. Less than one-half the 
country is tillable land, the larger part being meadow. 
There is very little change of scenery, and for this 
reason traveling through it is less interesting than is 
the case in most other countries. But the Hollanders 
have splendid cattle, mostly of the superior Holstein 



HOLLAND. 357 

breed. Nowhere else have we seen so many fine milch 
cows. It is a beautiful sight to see thousands of such 
cows grazing in these lowlands as the train speeds along. 
Very large quantities of butter and cheese are produced 
in Holland. The exportation of these two articles 
amounts to upwards of fifteen million dollars worth 
per year. 

Holland is situated between Belgium on the south, 
Prussia on the east, and the North Sea on the west and 
north. It is a small country, being only 195 miles 
long and 110 miles at the widest point. It contains 
12,630 square miles and has about 6,000,000 people. 
In some parts the population is very dense, being ex- 
ceeded in this matter by few other sections in Europe. 
The principal cities are Amsterdam, the capital ; Rotter- 
dam ; The Hague, the seat of government ; Utrecht, 
Groningen and Haarlem. It will be remembered that 
many of the early emigrants to America came through 
Amsterdam and Rotterdam. 

Holland has large colonial possessions in East India 
and the West Indies, and governs some 30,000,000 there. 
Like England, its colonies are many times larger than 
the home country, and the colonial population is many 
times larger than that of Holland proper. 

The Hollanders are known as the Dutch. Some 
people speak of them as being ignorant, and express 
their derision of them by calling them " Dum Dutch," 
but such persons only betray their own great ignorance. 
The Dutch are intelligent, brave, religious and in a 
general way an excellent people. 

There are four universities in this small country, 
located at Ley den, Utrecht, Amsterdam and Gronin- 



368 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

gen, with a total of about 3,000 students. The govern- 
ment pays much attention to the education of the 
people, and bears thirty per cent, of the school expenses. 
The university at Leyden had an interesting origin in 
1575. Spaniards had besieged the city from October, 
1673, to October, 1574, but were unsuccessfur on ac- 
count of the heroic defense made by the citizens. As 
a reward for their bravery William of Orange, their 
ruler, offered to reward the citizens by either relieving 
them of taxes for a certain number of years or estab- 
lishing a university. The people chose the latter, 
and their university of Leyden is one of the most 
famous in Europe. 

The Reformed people of America are greatly in- 
debted to the Hollanders, because of the great and 
helpful interest which they took in the religious wel- 
fare of their poor, destitute forefathers. They sent 
them ministers. Bibles and money, and exercised a 
kindly supervision over them until the year 1793, when 
they organized their own synod. 

Then the whole American nation is greatly indebted 
to the Dutch, because nearly all our free institutions 
are modeled after theirs. We Americans are far more 
like the Dutch in this respect than like the people of 
England. 

The Hollanders have always been lovers of Evan- 
gelical truth. Perhaps no other country has suffered 
more than theirs for conscience sake. It is claimed 
that under Charles V. at least 100,000 persons were 
put to death for alleged heresy, that is, resistance to 
Romanism. 

Holland was frequently a place of refuge for the 
persecuted of other lands. It was such especially after 



HOLLAND. 359 

the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, when thousands 
of French Huguenots fled to Holland. Those lovers 
of liberty were a valuable acquisition to the Dutch, for 
they afterwards helped to fight their battles for lib- 
erty. The massacre of St. Bartholomew's Night drove 
France's best citizens to Holland, Germany and else- 
where. 

The State religion of Holland is that of the Re- 
formed Church. About three-fifths of the people are Re- 
formed; the balance Catholics and Jews. The Re- 
formed churches are quite plain and devoid of ornamen- 
tation. They form a marked contrast to the richly 
ornamented Catholic churches in the neighboring king- 
dom of Belgium and elsewhere. The people are pious 
and opposed to pictures of saints in their churches. 

The Hollanders are proverbially a cleanly people. 
They have a world-wide reputation on this account. 
Women scrub their front door steps daily. The village 
of Broeck, near Amsterdam, excels perhaps all other 
places in this respect. It is stated that years ago there 
was a sign at the entrance to the village requiring all 
riders to dismount and lead their horses at a slow walk, 
so as not to cause any dust to rise. Strangers were 
warned not to smoke on the streets without lids on their 
pipes, so as not t® drop ashes on the pavements. Of 
course no such regulations exist now. In this connec- 
tion it may be stated that there was a time when smok- 
ing was not allowed in our good city of Reading, Pa. 
On May 6, 1820, the borough council passed an ordi- 
nance making it unlawful for any one to smoke a cigar 
or pipe in any street, alley or pavement, under a penalty 
of fifty cents for each offence. Minors who violated 



360 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

the ordinance and failed to pay the fine at once, were 
liable to imprisonment for six hours. We now have 
an ordinance which forbids spitting on the pavements. 

Among the objects which attract the attention of 
travelers are the numerous windmills. There are 
thousands of them throughout the country. They are 
large and rather cumbrous -looking objects. As stated 
elsewhere, they are employed to pump the water from 
the lowlands into the canals, to grind the grain, to 
operate sawmills and for other purposes. They are 
operated by the wind, and thus nature is harnessed to 
perform important work. The bases of some wind- 
mills are large square buildings, which serve as dwell- 
ings. The wheels of the mills are often very large, 
and in some instances reach a height of 120 feet. 
These windmills are very different from those used in 
America. 

Amsterdam is the capital of Holland. The name 
means " Dam of the Amstel." The latter is the name 
of the river upon whose banks the city is situated. 
The city ^s divided by the Amstel and many canals into 
a hundred small islands, and these latter are connected 
by over 300 bridges. Nearly the whole city rests upon 
piles — -logs forty to fifty feet in length which are driven 
through soft sand into the firm clay. In this respect 
the city greatly resembles Venice in Italy. The fact 
of the peculiar foundations of Amsterdam " gave rise 
to the jest of Erasmus of Rotterdam that he knew a 
city whose inhabitants dwelt upon the tops of trees 
like rooks.'' The largest buildings rest on piles. It 
is a very old city. In the thirteenth century it was a 
mere fishing village; in 1482 it was walled and forti- 



ROYAL PALACE. 361 

fied, and in 1625 it had 100,000 inhabitants. But the 
city suffered greatly from the effects of war. In 1653, 
as a result of the war with England, there were 4,000 
vacant houses in the city. Amsterdam was repeatedly 
captured by foreign foes — in 1787 by the Prussians; in 
1795 by the French. The union of Holland with 
France in 1810 entirely destroyed the foreign trade of 
Amsterdam. 

Amsterdam is a very level city, and there are few 
places which afford good views of it. What may be 
most easily seen are the many church towers and spires, 
and the numerous masts of vessels in the canals. The 
population is over half a million, of whom one-half be- 
long to the Reformed Church. Nearly 100,000 are 
Catholics and over 60,000 Jews. 

The Royal Palace is one of the most interesting 
buildings which we visited here. It is a plain looking 
building, and is perhaps all through the plainest of the 
fifteen or sixteen palaces visited by our party in Eu- 
rope. It vas erected in 1648 as the town hall at a 
cost of over three million dollars. The building rests 
upon 13,659 piles. It is 264 feet ^ong, 207 feet wide 
and 108 feet high, with a tower 187 feet high, contain- 
ing a set of chimes. When Louis Bonaparte was made 
king of Holland in 1 808 the building was presented to 
him as a royal residence by the city. There are a num- 
ber of fine paintings in the palace, among them one 
representing Jethro counselling Moses to appoint judges 
to share his labors ; Moses chosing the seventy elders ; 
Solomon's Praye* ; Moses on Mount Sinai. These are 
hung in the so called Moses Room. The throne room 
is lighted by 400 candles. The whole palace is lighted 
24 



362 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

by means of oil and candles. In this respect it differs 
from other palaces. " The large reception room is one 
of the most magnificent halls in Europe." The room 
is 117 feet long, 57 feet wide and 100 feet high. It is 
the only room of its size whose roof is unsupported by 
pillars. Everything here is constructed of fine Italian 
marble. This room contains many battle flags taken 
from the Spaniards three hundred years ago. Queen 
Wilhelmina resides here only about one week in each 
year. Amsterdam is the capital, although the actual 
seat of government is at The Hague. 

The OuDE Kerk (old church) is an interesting^ 
building and very old, having been erected in the year 
1300. It is a large church— 294 feet long and 213 
feet wide. The interior and roof are supported by 
forty-two round pillars. There are some beautiful win- 
dows, one dating from 1565 representing scenes from 
the history of the Virgin Mary. Two windows rep- 
resent the coat- of- arms of the Burgomasters of Amster- 
dam (mayors) from 1578 to 1767. Another window 
represents Philip IV., King of Spain, declaring the 
seven United Provinces free and independent at the 
peace of Munster in 1648. The organ, the lower part 
of which is of marble, was built in 1720. 

This is the oldest Reformed church which we visited. 
In this church is a monument to Admiral Van Heems- 
kerck. An inscription in Dutch states that this man 
tried to find a more direct route to China by the Arctic 
Sea. He was killed in 1607 in the battle of Gibraltar. 
There are also monuments to other famous men. Not 
over one-half of the church has seats provided for wor- 
shippers, the other half being occupied by memorials. 



HISTORIC CHURCHES. 363 

The NiEUWE Kerk (new church) is a more mod- 
ern-looking building near the palace. It was first 
erected in 1408, and " restored after fires and outrages 
in 1421, 1578 and 1645." Here are also several monu- 
ments and some fine windows. One of the latter com- 
memorates the raising of the siege of Leyden in 1573- 
74. Queen Wilhelmina, the present ruler of Holland, 
was crowned in this New Church in 1890. In 1898 
the Dutch nation placed a fine window in this church 
in commemoration of this event. This is also a Re- 
formed church. The Reformed have 13 churches in 
the city, most of which have very large memberships. 
To the Catholics belong 22 churches. 

Near the New Church and the Palace is the Post- 
office. In my efforts to locate the latter I realized how 
difficult it is for even a German to speak with a 
Dutchman. I asked a gentleman the way to the post- 
office, but he did not know such a place. Then I 
asked him in German the way to the " Postamt," but 
neither did he know what that is. Finally I took an 
addressed letter from my pocket, when he saw what I 
wanted, and he exlaimed : " Postkantoor," and showed 
me the way. 

One of the most interesting places of worship is the 
Portuguese Synagogue of the Jews, which is a large 
building, located on Muider street, the principal one in 
the Jewish quarter, which is inhabited almost exclu- 
sively by Jews. This section is less clean than the other 
parts of the city. There are many small shops and 
from some of them an unpleasant odor issues. This 
synagogue was erected in 1670, and is claimed to be 
an imitation of the temple of Solomon. I asked our 



364 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

guide ill what way, and he replied : " You see the syna- 
gogae is surrounded by a wall.'' Yes, but such is the 
case with some othtr houses of worship. However, 
this is an interesting place. The men sit in the lower 
part, and the women in the galleries. All keep their 
hats on their heads during the service. We noted 
six chandeliers which are as old as the building ; a 
chart with the Ten Commandments ; a plank in the plat- 
form 47 feet in length of wood from Brazil ; an oil lamp 
which is kept burning continually. The congregation 
owns a number of costly vessels, and consists of 5,000 
members, all of whom are Portogaese. Their worship 
takes place daily at 6.30 a. m. and 6.30 p. m. All the 
members are orthodox Jews. As we entered we were 
informed that admission was free, but as we left a fee 
was demanded and paid. I could not help thinking 
that even in this matter w6^were dealing with Jews. 

The Jews of Amsterdam have ten synagogues, in 
one of which the services are conducted in the High 
German language. How are we to account for the 
presence of so many Israelitjs in Amsterdam? Dur- 
ing the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries these people 
were sorely persecuted in Spain, Portugal and the 
Spanish Netherlands, and many of them flocked to 
Amsterdam, which accorded them full religious tolera- 
tion. Many other Jews came also from Germany and 
Poland to escape persecution. They brought much 
wealth with them and contributed largely to the pros- 
perity of the city. Baruch Spinoza, the father of 
modern philosophy, born at Amsterdam in 1632, was 
the son of a Portuguese Jew. Rembrandt, the famous 
Dutch painter, resided in the Jewish quarter from 1540 



BIBLE HOTEL. 365 

to 1656, and a tablet marks the house of his abodd. 
Amsterdam is indebted to Portuguese Jews for the in- 
troduction of diamond polishing, an art unknown in 
Europe before the fifteenth century, after the sack of 
Antwerp in 1576. This art has since been wonder- 
fully developed here, so that there are now over seventy 
mills, employing about 12,000 workmen. 

One of the first and most welcome objects in Am- 
sterdam which met our eyes was an American flag 
which floated from a second story window of a build- 
ing in a business street in the centre of the city. The 
house was occupied as an American restaurant. The 
waving of this flag was most pleasing to us. 

During our stay in Amsterdam we lodged in the 
large and fine Bible Hotel. This is a singular name 
for a hotel. We had never met with one like it. The 
name is derived from the following story. It is claimed 
that the first Bible published in Holland was printed 
on the site where the hotel now stands by Jacob von 
Liesvelt in 1542. He was persecut ed on this account, 
but escaped through a rear window and fled to Ant- 
werp. He was there arrested, tried for heresy, found 
guilty and executed. The house was subsequently pur- 
chased by a Scotch family, turned into a hotel and this 
sign painted on the wall : " Drink no longer water, but 
take a little wine." (1 Tim. 5 : 23.) An old Bible, 
shown to guests at the hotel, contains this storj. 

But this is evidently only a story. The facts are 
that Jacob von Liesvelt published a Bible already in 
1526 at Antwerp, issuing a second edition in 1542. 
He was beheaded in 1545 at Antwerp, because he had 
inserted a note in his Bible declaring that salvation can 



366 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

come only through Jesus Christ. At that time it was 
a mortal offence to publish Evangelical truth. The 
circulation of Liesvelt's Bible was much feared and 
Charles V. prohibited it under heavy penalties in 
1546, as did also his son Philip in 1569. 

The story as used by the hotel people shows how 
eager some people are to j ustify their business by 
means of the Bible. PauPs well-meant advice has 
been seized upon by many a liquorseller t@ justify his 
trade. Some such people seem to know this passage 
in the good .book, if no other. Here, as so often else- 
where, the wish is father to the thought. The sign of 
the original hotel is still used on the present one. Be- 
sides this there are two large figures of the open Bible 
on the front of the fine hotel building near the top. 
The hotel itself is well conducted and much frequented 
by visitors. It is claimed^o be the oldest in the city. 
On the occasion of its 255th anniversary a pamphlet 
was issued which recifes its history. There have been 
a number of Bible Hotels in Amsterdam. At the end 
of the 17th century there were three such in the same 
street. 

At Zaandam, near Amsterdam, is preserved an in- 
teresting relic from the time of Peter the Great of 
Russia. In order to gain a knowledge of shipbuilding 
he, while emperor, went to Zaandam in disguise and 
for some time worked as a common shipwright until 
his identity was discovered. During this time he lived 
in a rude wooden hut in 1697. It is stated that he 
passed under the assumed name of Peter Michaeloff. 
The hut is preserved and now belongs to the emperor 
of Eussia. 




CHAPTER XXII.— HOLLAND (Continued). 

Quaint Villages.— Marken Island.— Peculiar Costumes. 

Volendam.— Edam.— Siege of Haarlem.— The Hague. 

Famous Prison.— Rotterdam.— Dort. 

NE of my Reading friends had laid this 
injunction upon me : " Do not fail to 
visit Marken Island to see the peculiar 
Dutch costumes of the villagers." Our 
party agreed to spend one day in mak- 
ing an excursion to this place and sev- 
eral points on the route. We employed 
various modes of travel — first a small 
steamer from the centre of Amsterdam 
and across the harbor, then a trolly line, then another 
steamer, then a sail boat, then a house-boat drawn by 
two men, then the trolly again upon the return trip, 
and finally a steamer ooce more across the harbor to 
the startiuiB^ point. It was an elxceedingly interesting 
trip. We had already seen some people in Amsterdam 
wearing wooden shoes, but in the several villages vis- 
ited on this excursion we found nearly everybody, chil- 
dren and adults, wearing this kind of footgear. 

The route lay through a meadow region, in which 
many hundreds of fine Holstein cows were grazing. 
The country is traversed by numerous canals. Our 
first stop was at the small village of Bkoeck, which is 
noted for its extreme cleanliness. This is the village 
referred to on page 359. Some of the houses are open 
for inspection by visitors. We looked into several of 
them and found them models of neatness. At one we 
found this sign : '' Come in and see a Dutch farm 



368 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

house." Everything was clean and simple. The 
people are poor, but apparently happy. Their wants 
are very few. They have a neat little church which 
contains a pulpit dating from the year 1685. There 
are several cheese factories here, and we were shown 
through one of them. Here we for the first time saw 
the inside of a building -which serves both as a stable 
and aid welling under one roof; aye, more than this ; it 
also includes a cheese factory. But everything was 
very clean. Here we drank a glass of milk, than which 
we never tasted any better. 

At MoNNiKENDAM we visited the old village 
church, which dates from 1420. The choir- screen in 
the church dates from 1562-63. There are a number 
of large, cumbersome Bibles in the pews. An old 
organ is in position against the wall. The large win- 
dows 'are composed of very small panes of glass. In 
the church are also many graves. The large belfry 
contains a clock. Many of the houses in the village are 
very old. The tower of the town hall dates from 
1562-63. Here we bad the first fine view of the 
Zuider Sea. Our advent to the place attracted many 
children to our party. They had picture- cards, neat 
little baby-caps and other objects to sell. All were 
eager to sell their goods and their rapid running toward 
us in their wooden shoes over brick pavements pro- 
duced a strange noise. It sounded like " Clopp, clopp, 
clopp." 

At this place we boarded a small steamer for Mar- 
ken Island in the Zuider Sea, located a number of 
miles from, the western shore. The ride was delight- 
ful. Marken Island is one of the most interesting 



MARKEN ISLAND. 369 

places in Hollands It is a fishermen's village of some 
300 people. The visitor is at once impressed by the 
peculiar dress of the people. The men wear bloomers — 
short, wide trousers. Those of the married men are 
colored ; those of the unmarried are white. The women 
wear short dresses and white aprons. The other parts 
of their dress are mostly of various colors. All, men, 
women and children, wear wooden shoes, and thick 
woolen stockings. The women have long curls hang- 
ing down over their cheeks. Their dresses reminded 
one of Joseph's coat, which was of many colors. All 
the women do a great deal of knitting. As we passed 
through the village we met many women and girls of 
various ages thus engaged. They did this in the houses 
and on the streets. All appeared to be expert at this 
useful employment. Their fingers were knitting whilst 
their eyes were following the visitors. We inspected a 
number of homes, ail of which were very clean, though 
small and humble. These people require less room 
than most others. Few bedsteads are seen. Most beds 
are in wall- closets and are shelf-like. We saw several 
children asleep in such places. They have but little 
air, especia^y when the doors are closed. The cooking 
utensils were bright and shiny. These people on Mar- 
ken Island have a neat (Reformed) church, and a post 
and a telegraph office. All kinds of picture cards are 
for sale. The men's business is fishing in Zuider Sea, 
the women attending to the housework. Some little 
farm land surrounds the village, and there are canals 
instead of streets. E^'Crything is transported by boat. 
As we passed along we met two women engaged in 
bringing home a load of hay in this way. One of the 



370 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

women was sitting on top of the hay, whilst the other 
pulled the boat, walking along the tow-path in her 
stocking' feet. Her wooden shoes were on the hay in 
the boat. 

We now took a sail- boat and crossed over to the 
mainland again, disembarking at the village of Volen- 
dam, which is farther north. This was my first ride 
on a sail- boat. It is remarkable how the sails can 
be set so as to propel the boat in the right direction. 
Here we found the same kind of people as on Marken 
Island, with the exception that the women do not wear 
curls. But here the people are nearly all Catholics. 
The houses are very small, and there are practically no 
streets, only narrow alleys, in many place wide enough 
for only one person at a time. Here the people are 
much poorer than on Marken Island. Some of the 
dwellings are mere huts or-shanties. We saw an aged 
man living in a tiny house not over 8 by 12 feet in 
size. He was given some gifts. At a restaurant here 
we enjoyed a good dinner. In Volendam, as on Mar- 
ken Island, the people ail wear wooden shoes. They 
wear these only outside the houses. As they enter 
their humble homes they leave them at the door, and 
wear slippers inside the houses. 

At Volendam the visitors went aboard three small 
house -boats on a canal. Our boat contained over thirty 
persons. About one-half found seats within, where the 
ceiling was too low to allow any one to stand erect ; 
the others found room on the top and on the platforms. 
How was this boat to be propelled ? There was neither 
steam, electric or horse power, nor sails. Presently 
two men took hold of a rope and pulled the boat, 



EDAM. 371 

whilst a third with a pole kept it from running aground. 
Think of these men pulling a boat containing thirty 
persons ! It was hard work and the progress was quite 
slow. After awhile the second man dropped out, and 
left the first to do all the work. This ride reminds one 
of the peculiar dream of the late Dr. Cuyler, of Brook- 
lyn. He was the pastor of a large church. One night 
he dreamt that he and his people were drawing a large 
coach. He was at the head of the rope. All pulled 
together and everything went welL By and by the 
coach pulled harder and harder, and finally it came to 
a standstill. The good pastor now went back to see 
what was the trouble, when he found that the members 
had, one after the other, let go the rope and taken 
seats inside the coach ! There was this difference in our 
case — we all entered the coach at once. 

Edam is also a very old village. One house bears 
the date 1618. A good deal of cheese is made here. 
The local church of St. Nicholas was erected in the 
fourteenth century. The steeple contains twelve small 
bells which really hang outside the steeple. There is a 
small museum containing local curiosities. The houses 
are very old and mostly quite small. At Edam we 
boarded a trolly car and retured to Amsterdam, greatly 
pleased with our visit to the quaint villages. On this 
trip we passed a number of windmills. One of these 
is large and furnishes the power for a sawmill. 

One peculiarity of Amsterdam is the numerous 
leaning houses. In many instances the top extends 
at least two feet over the base. My first thought was 
that the foundations had subsided. However, a citizen 
assured us that the houses were built that way, but he 



372 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

could not explain why. At some business houses there 
is a hoisting apparatus attached to the cornice to lift 
goods into the upper floors, and this fact may possibly 
be the explanation of the above peculiar construction. 

One sees many curious signs in Amsterdam. My 
knowledge of German enabled me to catch the meaning 
of many of them. " On verkoop" means "for sale f 
" Lebensverzekerung'' means "Life Insurance," etc. 
In the station " Uitgang" means " Exit ;" "Yertrek" 
means " Train." In the cars " Niet Rooken" means 
" No Smoking." " Niet openen voor de trein stillstaat" 
means " Do not open before the train stops." The 
inscription on a freight car " Draagvermogen" means 
" Capacity." 

A place of much interest in Amsterdam is the 
Panorama of the Siege of Haarlem. This is a very 
realistic representation of ihe famous siege of that city. 
At some places buildings are on fire, elsewhere soldiers 
are cooking their meals, whilst at other places the 
ground is strewn with dead horses, etc. From a cer- 
tain tree a man is hanging. The siege of the city of 
Haarlem, which is ten miles from Amsterdam, took 
place in 1572-73 and continued seven months. After 
a most heroic defence, during which women fought by 
the side of men, the people had to surrender to the 
cruel Spaniards under Frederick of Toledo, son of the 
Duke of Alva, and were treated most cruelly by their 
captors. The commander of the town, the entire gar- 
rison, all the Protestant ministers and two thousand 
other citizens were butchered by order of Frederick. 
Four years later the Spaniards were again expelled 
from Haarlem. 



THE HAGUE. 373 

The Hague was our next stopping place. It con- 
tains a number of places of great interest, being the 
seat of government of Holland. The population is 
250,000. This was *' originally the hunting resort of 
the Counts of Holland.'^ The term '^ Hague" means 
*' hedge" or *^ enclosure." In Dutch it is "Den 
Haag." Wilhelmina, the Queen of Holland, resides 
here. 

One of the first places we visited was the Groote 
Kerk or Church of St. James, with a six sided tower 
330 feet high and containing a chime of 38 bells* The 
church was erected in 1299. Some of the windows 
date from 1547. The carved wooden pulpit was made 
in 1550, There is a fine large modern organ erected 
in 188L "Queen Wilhelmina was married in this 
church to Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin on 
Feb. 7, 1901." She attends this church regularly. 
The sexton said to our party : " Take seats in this pew," 
and when we had done so, he added : " Now you are 
occupying the pew of the queen." The large organ 
in this church contains 5,000 pipes, 98 stops and three 
manuals. There is no choir. This large church, like 
many others in Europe, is not heated in the usual way. 
Instead, miniature stoves, heated with charcoal, are 
provided for those who desire them. They are feet- 
warmers. All the services here are conducted in the 
Dutch language. There are 1,500 rented and 1,000 
free seats in this church, which is capable of holding 
3,000 persons. 

The Reformed people of The Hague seem to be un- 
der one general management. There are eight Reformed 
churches, fourteen ministers and an aggregate member- 



374 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

ship ot 120,000 souls out of the 236,000 population of 
the city. In this denomination the communion is cele- 
brated five times a year. The city has 22 Protestant 
and 10 Catholic churches. 

The Nieuwe Kerk (new church) is also an int€rest- 
ing place. Its erection was commenced in 1649. The 
well-known brothers DeWitt are buried in this church. 
In 1672 Cornelius DeWitt was falsely accused of a con- 
spiracy against the life of the Stadtholder, William 
III., and imprisoned. He was condemned to banish- 
ment. His brother, John DeWitt, a prominent states- 
man, went to the prison to take his brother Cornelius 
away, but when they were about to leave the prison 
doot, an infuriated mob, not knowing that Cornelius 
had been found innocent, and believing that he was 
about to escape, seized both De Witts and cruelly mur- 
dered them. After having been almost torn to pieces, 
they were dragged to a place near the prison and han- 
ged, heads downward. The exact spot was shown us. 
Baruch Spinoza, the famous philosopher, a native of 
Amsterdam, is also buried in this church. He resided 
at The Hague from 1671 to 1677, when he died. The 
place of his residence is marked. Nearby is a bronze 
state of him, erected in 1880. 

In front of the Royal Palace stands an equestrian 
statue of William of Orange, the famous liberator of 
Holland, who was murdered at Delft on July 10, 1684. 

The Hague can boast of several fine art galleries. 
We inspected one of them. Many of the paintings are 
by Rembrandt, the famous Dutch artist. One of the 
most interesting pictures is that of David playing for 
Saul. Another famous work is a cattle scene painted 



THE HAGUE. 375 

in 1647. It is said that a New York millionaire once 
offered $480,000 for one of the Dutch masterpieces. 
What marvellous, painstaking care some painters be- 
stow upon their work was brought home to us by means 
of a magnifying glass, which clearly revealed the sepa- 
rate hairs of a man's beard in a certain picture. 

Of course we had to see the " House in the Wood," 
a royal residence, at the eastern border of the city, 
erected about 1 645 for Princess Amelia of Solms, con- 
sort of Prince Frederick of Orange. Among the many 
paintings is a fine portrait of John L. Motley, the fa- 
mous American author of the " History of the Dutch 
Republic." The most beautiful part of the building 
is the Orange Saloon, which was decorated with mag- 
nificent mural paintings in 1648. In this room the first 
International Peace Conference in 1899 was held. It 
consisted of 120 delegates from 26 nations. The second 
Peace Conference was held in this city in 1907, consist- 
ing of 500 delegates. A beautiful Palace of Peace is 
being erected in The Hague, which is expected to be 
completed in 1913. Mr. Andrew Carnegie has prom- 
ised $1,500,000 toward the erection of this magnificent 
structure. Between the city and the " House in the 
Wood" is a large park, containing various kinds of 
deer in large numbers. 

In the Willems Park stands the " large imposing 
National Monument, unveiled in 1869, to commemo- 
rate the restoration of Dutch independence in 1813 and 
the return of Prince William Frederick of Orange, 
who afterward became king." 

The Hague is of special interest to Reformed people 
of America, because in this city are preserved the 



376 RAMBLES IN EUKOPE. 

records of the transactions engaged in by the Reformed 
Synods of Holland and the Refjrmed Church of the 
United States. Tne Reformed people of Holland ex- 
ercised a fostering care over their Reformed brethren 
in America from 1731 to 1793, in which latter year our 
people in this country felt strong enough to organize a 
government of their own in the form of a synod. 

A place of peculiar interest in The Hague is the old 
prison of the thirteenth century, which takes us back 
to the times of cruel and barbarous practices. Here 
is a large collection of instruments of torture. Another 
and much larger collection we saw in the Tower of 
Torture of the castle at Nuremberg. Among the de- 
vices on exhibition here are racks, stocks, thumb screws, 
executioner's axes and swords, an executioner's bench, 
upon which so many persons were beheaded that a 
groove was worn into it by the axe ; a pillory for pub- 
licly exposing prisoners, etc. One form of torture was 
the continued dropping of water upon the heads of vic- 
tims. Usually they b'^came crazy in a day and died in 
three days. In this prison the first Roman Catholic 
priest who turned Protestant was beheaded. There is 
a picture on the wall which he is supposed to have 
painted with his own blood. One of the methods of 
Spanish torture was to compel prisoners to walk bare- 
footed over hot irons. If they were not burned they 
were considered innocent ; if burned, guilty. Another 
method was to starve people to death in ceils where they 
could smell the good things in the kitchen. 

These instruments of torture were first used by the 
cruel Spaniards during their rule in Holland against 
political and other offenders. It is stated that the 



DORT. 377 

Spanish Duke of Alva executed 18,000 persons during 
his reign here. Subsequently the Dutch used the 
whipping post, the branding iron and the pillory to 
punish offenders. When 1 told the man in charge that 
in the American state of Delaware the whipping post 
is used aganist wife beaters, he replied that he knew 
all about it, since he resided in the United States a 
number of years. 

Rotterdam it an active business city on the river 
Maas, 15 miles from The Hague. It enjoys the largest 
foreign trade of all the Holland cities. As formerly, 
it is still a port from which many thousands of emi- 
grants from various parts of Europe sail for America. 
As in Amsterdam, so in Rotterdam, there are numer- 
ous canals. The church of St. Lawrence was com- 
menced in 1412, and its unfinished tower was erected 
in 1449-1560. The Boy man's Museum contains a fine 
collection of works of art, mostly by Dutch artists. 
Perhaps the mort famous native of Rotterdam was the 
scholar and reformer Erasmus. A bronze statue of 
him was erected in the city in 1622, Erasmus was 
born in Rotterdam probably in 1467, and died in Basel 
in 1536. He was a firm opponent of Luther. The 
population of Rotterdam is about 350,000, one-fourth 
of which is Catholic. 

The city of Dort is located ten miles from Rotter- 
dam and upon an island which was formed by a terrific 
inundation caused by the overflow of the river Rhine 
in 1421, when seventy-two villages were destroyed and 
100,000 people drowned. The population is about 40,- 
000. This town is known in church history because 
here was held the famous Synod of Dort, whose ses- 
25 



378 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

sions continued J from November 13, 1618, until May 
19, 1619. The synod was called to decide important 
questions between Arminianism and Calvinism. There 
were 84 delegates — 36 ministers of Holland, 28 from 
Germany, Switzerland, England, Scotland, etc., and 
the rest were Dutch elders. The decision was in favor 
of the Calvinists. This synod took plenty of time to 
consider the questions before it, and continued in ses- 
sion for six months. In our time it is difficult to keep 
elders a week at synod. The results of this Synod of 
Dort were far-reaching. Many of the Arminians were 
banished from Holland, whilst some others lost their 
lives on account of their teaching. 

(Dr. Good's " History of the Reformed Church in 
Germany " contains a most interesting account of this 
famous synod, as well as a picture of the body, giving 
a good idea of the somewhat grotesque costumes of the 
delegates. Those kept their hats on their heads dur- 
ing the sessions.) 

We traveled through the southern part of Holland 
on the tenth day of August. In this section a good 
deal of grain is raised, which the farmers were cutting 
at the time. The season here is at least five weeks later 
than in Pennsylvania. 



CHAPTER XXni-— FRANCE- 




Paris the Gay City.— The Guilotine.— The Tuileries.— The 
Apch of Triumph.— Notre Dame.— Church of the Mad- 
eleine.— The Louvre, Great Art Gallery.— Napo- 
leon's Tomb.— The EiflTel Tower.— Monu- 
ments.— Palace at Versailles. 

* E reached Paris, the capital of France, 
from Brussels. The country between 
these two cities is a rich agricultural 
region. Farmers were engaged in har- 
vesting wheat and oats on August 12. 
Here, as elsewhere in Europe, the sea- 
son is much later than in Pennsylva- 
vania. France is more like eastern 
Pennsylvania than any other country 
we saw. It is a rolling country. 

Pakis is, next to London, the largest city in Eu- 
rope. It is situated on both sides of the river Seine, 
about 110 miles from its mouth. The population is 
2,846,986. In the wall that surrounds the city there 
are 69 openings— 66 for gates and 9 for railroads, etc. 
At the gates the tax on food and drink brought into the 
city is collected, and this is a source of large revenue 
for Paris. In early times the place was known as Lu- 
tetia. Originally it consisted of mud huts, inhabited by 
the Parisii, a Gallic tribe, which was conquered by the 
Romans. In the year 53 before Christ Lutetia was 
already an important town. There are still several 
ruins from this period in existence. One of these con- 
sists of the foundations of the old Roman amphitheatre, 
which is supposed to have seated 10,000 spectators at 
the gladiatorial shows. Lutetia began to be called Paris 



380 RAMBLES IN EUROPE, 

in the fourth century. During the reign of Philippe 
Auguste, 1180—1223, the city grew rapidly. During 
this period the nave, choir and chief facade of the great 
church Notre Dame were erected. 

The prosperity of Paris was much checked during 
the French Revolution, but the first Napoleon greatly 
improved the city. In twelve years he expended over 
$20,000,000 for this purpose. His downfall once more 
gave Paris a severe blow, but Napoleon III., his neph- 
ew, carried out improvements on a large scale, and to 
him is due much credit for the present magnificence of 
the city. He constructed wide streets and greatly im- 
proved the city in all directions. The Germans besieged 
Paris from Sept. 19, 1870, until Jan. 28, 1871, when 
it surrendered. Not much damage was done by the 
siege. But on March 18 the Commune, citizens of 
Paris, took possession of the city and a reign of terror 
prevailed for some time, until the French troops under 
Gen. MacMahon restored order. The Communists now 
set fire to many public buildings, and the city was in 
danger of being destroyed. Millions of dollars worth 
of property was consumed. After the downfall of Na- 
poleon III. France was made a republic, and has con- 
tinued such until now. 

The Parisians are a gay and pleasure-loving people. 
Many rich folks from all parts of Europe have been 
attracted to the city, where they live in ease and pleas- 
ure. Paris is by many regarded as a modern Babylon. 
Its social life is spoken of as a whirlpool of corruption. 
Whilst these descriptions may be overdrawn, there is no 
doubt that a great deal of wickedness prevails in Paris. 

We approached Paris with peculiar feelings. Going 
into a large city, whose language we could not speak, 



PLACE DE LA CONCORDE. 381 

how were we likely to fare ? It is only natural to bor- 
row trouble. So here. At the railroad station we found 
an enormous crowd of people. We experienced some 
inconvenience, because our porter could speak no more 
English than we could speak French. However we 
soon reached the St. Petersburg hotel, where clerks and 
waiters use both languages named. 

Our party spent a number of days in Paris and saw 
many places of interest which are usually visited by 
tourists. There are many magnificent, wide avenues in 
this great city. As a whole Paris is no doubt the most 
beautiful city in the world. 

Perhaps the largest of the many open squares is the 
Place de la Concorde, between the Champs- Ely sees and 
the Garden of the Tuileries. This is a place of great 
historic interest. In 1792 the place was called Place 
de la Revolution, which was certainly an appropriate 
name, for here was erected in that year the " guillotine," 
a machine for beheading people quickly and scientifi- 
cally. The name of this device is derived from its in- 
ventor, Joseph I. Guillotin. In this square the bloody 
work of the French Revolution was commenced. Louis 
XYI., king of France, was beheaded on Jan. 21, 1793. 
Subsequently there were executed at this spot Marie 
Antoinette, the queen of King Louis XYI. ; the Duke 
of Orleans, Danton, Madame Elizabeth, sister of the 
king named, Robespiere, Dumas, and many others. 
Between Jan. 21, 1793, and May 3, 1796, about 2800 
persons were here beheaded with the guillotine. On one 
day 82 members of the Commune were executed. Dan- 
ton and Robespiere had caused the death at this place 
of hundreds of persons, and they finally met the same 



382 RAMBLES IN EUKOPE. 

fate. There is probably no place in Europe where so 
many prominent persons were executed as at this spot. 

Nearby stands a famous Egyptian obelisk, which 
formerly stood in front of a gateway to the great temple 
at Thebes in Upper Egypt, and dates from the reign of 
Rameses II., the Pharaoh whoj oppressed the children 
of Israel. It was presented to the French King Louis 
Philippe in 1831 by Mohammed Ali, Viceroy of Egypt. 
The shaft is of reddish granite, 76 feet high and weighs 
240 tons. On the four sides inscriptions narrate the 
deeds of Rameses II. On the pedestal it is stated that 
the monument was shipped from Egypt in 1831 and 
erected at Paris in 1836. This obelisk is six feet higher 
than the one in London, mentioned on page 79. 

There are two beautiful fountains aside of the obe- 
lisk, each consisting " of a round basin, 53 feet in diam- 
eter, above which rise two-smaller basins, surmounted 
by a spout, from which a jet of water rises to a height 
of 28 feet.'* Nearby is a fine equestrian statue of Gen. 
Lafayette. This is the gift of the children of the Uni- 
ted States. Gen. Lafayette served in the American 
army during the Revolution, and rendered our country 
valuable services. 

Around the square are eight large stone figures sym- 
bolizing the principal towns of France. The one rep- 
resenting Strassburg is constantly hung with emblems 
of mourning, because of the loss of the province of Al- 
sace to Germany in 1871. This shows how seriously 
the French took this great loss. 

On the east side of the great square formerly stood 
the beautiful Palace of the Tuileries, which was burned 
by the Commune in 1871. This palace, founded by 



THE TiriLERIES. 383 

Catherine de Medicis, widow of Henri II., was begun 
in 1664, beyond the city walls of that period. It de- 
rived its name from tile- kilns (tuileries) that originally 
occupied its site. " Before the Revolution it was only 
occasionally occupied by the French sovereigns ; but it 
was the habitual residence of Napoleon I., Louis 
XVIII., Charles X., Louis Philippe, and Napoleon 
III." Louis XVI. at first lived at Versailles, but on 
October 6, 1789, a large mob attacked his palace and 
compelled the king and his family to take up their resi- 
dence in Paris, " and in 1791 he was again forcibly in- 
stalled here after the arrest of his flight at Varennes." 
On June 20, 1792, a mob of 30,000 persons attacked 
the Tuileries, and on the following tenth day of August 
a mob slaughtered the guard and looted the palace. The 
Communists, who ruled a short time in Paris, on May 
20, 1871, placed barrels of gunpowder, etc., into differ- 
ent rooms and then set the palace on fire at several 
places, and the magnificent structure was almost entirely 
ruined. The City Hail shared the same fate. The 
site of the former palace is now occupied by the Garden 
of the Tuileries. 

From the Place de la Concorde the wide and mag- 
nificent avenue Champs -Ely sees leads northwestward to 
the great Arch of Triumph. This is said to be the lar- 
gest triumphal arch in existence, and can be seen far 
and wide from the surrounding country. Its erection 
was commenced by Napoleon I. in 1805-6 and finished 
by Louis Philippe in 1836. The whole structure is 
162 feet in height, 147 feet in width and 73 feet in 
depth. There are reliefs and figures, which commemo- 
rate French victories at various times. 273 steps lead 



384 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

to a platform on the arch, from which a beautiful view 
over the great city is afforded. On June 1, 1885, the 
corpse of Victor Hugo, before it was taken to its final 
resting place in the Pantheon, was laid in state under 
the arch. Not far off" stands Victor Hugo's monu- 
ment. 

The arch is located in a very large circular space, 
from which twelve streets radiate. A.t this place a 
great transformation of the city took place under Na- 
poleon III. Hundreds of buildings were demolished 
and straight streets opened. It is believed that one 
object was to prevent the barricading of streets in case 
of insurrection. From the circle artillery could com- 
mand the numerous streets in all directions for long 
distances. 

Paris! of course has many churches, mostly Cath- 
olic. One of the most interesting of these is the cathe- 
dralfof Notre Dame, which is located upon an island in 
the t river Seine. It is a large and massive structure. 
Founded in 1163, the cathedral stands where there was 
once a church of the fourth century. Though dedicated 
in 1182, it was not entirely completed until the thir- 
teenth century. The front is very elaborate and mas- 
sive, and ornamented with a profusion of sculpture. 
One group represents the Last Judgment. Among the 
statues are " 28 kings of Israel and Judah, who were 
also reputed to be kings of France. These were de- 
stroyed during the Revolution, but re- executed in the 
19th century." Above these in the centre " rises a 
statue of the Virgin Mary, with two angels bearing 
lights, to the right and left of which are figures of Ad- 
am and Eve." The cathedral has two massive towers, 



NOTRE DAME. 385 

but the intended steeples for them were never erected. 
397 steps lead up to the top of the northern tower. In 
the southern tower hangs one of the largest bells in ex- 
istence. It weighs 12 J tons ; its clapper alone weighs 
nearly half a ton. Another bell here, not in use, was 
brought from Sebastopol. 

The interior of the Notre Dame cathedral is also 
grand. It is 417 feet long and 156 feet wide, and its 
high vaulted roof is supported by 75 massive pillars. 
The pulpit is " a masterpiece of modern wood- carving." 

The treasury of the church contains a collection of 
relics, including the Crown of Thorns, a nail from the 
Cross and piece of the Cross. The faithful believe 
these to be genuine, but we are at liberty to think 
what we please. Here are also the coronation robes 
of Napoleon I., and the blood-stained clothes of the 
Archbishop Darboy and two priests who were mur- 
dered by the Communists in 1871. Near the south 
portal in the church are two black marble slabs con- 
taining the names of 75 victims of the Communists, 
including the three named above. 

The cathedral suffered greatly during the French 
Revolution. In 1793 the church " was converted into 
a * Temple of Reason,' the sculptures were mutilated, 
and the statue of the Virgin Mary replaced by one of 
Liberty." The purpose of the Revolutionists was to 
abolish all religion. Disgraceful scenes are said to 
have been enacted in this house of worship, so that the 
church was closed in the following year. In 1795 the 
Catholics reopened it, and in 1845 it was restored to 
its former condition. 

Another noteworthy church is the Madeleine, or 
Church of St. Mary Magdalene. This is a magnificent 



386 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

modern building. It was commenced in 1806 hy 
Napoleon I., who ** intended it as a Temple of 
Glory/' and was completed in 1842. It is 364 feet 
long, 141 feet wide and 100 feet high. The build- 
ing is surrounded by a row of columns, 18 on each side 
lengthwise, and a number in front and behind. The 
whole presents an imposing appearance. One pecu- 
liarity of the church is the fact that it has no side win- 
dows ; instead there are three circular roof-windows 
through which light is admitted. There can be practi- 
cally no ventilation. We have seen two other build- 
ings of similar construction in this respect — the Bank 
of England and the Pantheon in Rome, the latter hav- 
ing but one window, and that in the dome. Illustra- 
tions of the Ten Commandments embellish the huge 
bronze front doors of the church. 

The interior of the Madeleine is rather dark and 
lacks cheerfulness. On the high altar is a marble 
group " representing Mary Magdalene being borne 
into Paradise by two angels.'' Among the paintings 
in the church is one of ^' Napoleon receiving the im- 
perial crown from the hands of Pope Pius VII." 

There are also a number of French Protestant 
churches. The larger number of these are Reformed ; 
then follow the Lutherans. 

Perhaps the most attractive, at least the most fre- 
quented, of the public institutions in Paris is the 
Louvre (pronounced Loove) Museum and Art Gallery, 
which is probably the largest in the world. It is simply 
immense. We spent considerable portions of two days 
in it. The immense building was erected in parts dur- 
ing a number of centuries. Originally it was used as 



THE LOUVRE. 387 

a royal palace. Its name is believed to have been de- 
rived from " an ancient rendezvous of wolf hunters" 
and was then called Louverie. It is believed that 
Philippe Auguste, who reigned from 1180 to 1223, 
erected the first castle here. Various monarchs erected 
parts of the great structure. In 1661 a part of it was 
destroyed by fire. In the course of time the rulers of 
France preferred the Versailles and the Tuileries pal- 
aces as places of residence, and the Louvre was by and 
by entirely devoted to art. 

Napoleon I. in 1805 made an earnest effort to re- 
store and complete the building. He directed the erec- 
tion of a gallery to connect the Louvre with the Tuil- 
eries. But before the completion of the work Napoleon 
was deposed, and the work rested. In 1848 Napoleon 
III. undertook to finish the undertaking, which was 
accomplished in 1868. The several buildings as a 
whole constitute the largest institution of its kind in 
the world, covering about forty- five acres of ground, 
or three times as much as the Vatican at Rome. There 
are so many rooms that it is said to take a person two 
hours to walk through them all without stopping. 

Anything like a description of the thousands of 
paintings, specimens of sculpture and relics is impos- 
sible. Already in 1710 the number of paintings was 
2,400. Since then the number has been greatly in- 
creased. Many art treasures were brought to Paris by 
the French armies as trophies of war. Many of the ob- 
jects in the Egytian Museum date back thousands of 
years before the birth of Christ. 

All the noted artists are represented in this vast 
gallery. One of the most famous paintings is a por- 



388 RAMBLES LN' EUROPE. 

trait of Mona Lisa, wife of Fr. del Giocondo, of Flor- 
ence, Italy. THs is by the Italian artist Leonardo da 
Vinci, who spent four years on this one work, and 
then stopped without finishing it. There are many 
pictures of the Madonna, the Crucifixion, Entombment 
of Jesus, etc. The collection of drawings includes 
about 50,000 specimens. 

Some of the rooms are of great historic interest. 
One of these belonged to the apartments of Catherine 
de Medicis, mother of Charles IX., King of France. 
Here on August 19, 1572, the Princess Margaret of 
Valois, sister of Charles IX., was married to Henri, 
the young Protestant King of Xavarre. Admiral Col- 
igny and many other Huguenot leaders were present. 
Five days later, on the eve of St. BartholomeVs 
Day, August 23, Charles IX., at the instigation of his 
mother, Catherine de Medicis, issued the order for the 
massacre of the Huguenots and the arrest of Henri, 
who afterward, as Henri TV., became King of France. 
In 1610 this king was assassinated and his body lay 
in state here. 

The Hotel-de-Ville (aty Hall) is a fine building, 
frontiug on a large open square along the river Seine. 
In this square, called Place de 1' Hotel-de-Ville, public 
executions took place from 1310 to 1832. " In 1572, 
after the massacre of St. Bartholomew, Catherine de 
Medicis caused the Huguenot chiefs Briquemont and 
Cavagnes to be hung lq this Place amid the jeers of 
an enrapred mob; and in 1574 she ordered the Comte 
Montgomery, captain of the Scottish guard, to be exe- 
cuted here for having accidentally caused the death of 
her husband, Henri II., at a tournament. On this 



napoleon's tomb. 389 

spot, too, Eleonore Galigai, foster sister of Marie de 
Medicis, convicted of sorcery, was beheaded and after- 
ward burnt in 1617." Many other persons, some of 
high standing, were put to death in this Place. 

The old City Hall was commenced in 1533. It 
has always been the headquarters of the city govern- 
ment. From its steps on Feb. 24, 1848, Louis Blanc 
proclaimed the republic. In May, 1871, the Com- 
mune were in possession of the building. They placed 
" heaps of combustibles inside the building, and when 
forced to retire thither after the fearful struggle on the 
24th of May in the Place de PHotel-de- Yille, they set 
fire to them, regardless of the fact that 600 of their 
party were still within its precincts. Not one escaped, 
and the entire building perished in the flames." The 
new or present building was erected in 1876-84. 

The Hotel des Invalids (Soldiers' Home) is a place 
of great interest, as it contains the tomb of Napoleon 
I. It is the oldest institution of its kind, having been 
founded by Louis XIV., and erected in 1670-75. The 
Soldiers' Home " covers an area of about 30 acres and 
was intended to accommodate 7,000 inmates, but there 
are now only about 50, as only soldiers absolutely inca- 
pacitated for work are now admitted. Parts of the 
building have been devoted to other purposes." The 
Military Museum in it contains some 10,000 specimens 
of weapons and armor of all kinds, both ancient and 
modern. 

The principal attraction, the Tomb of Napoleon 
I., which was erected in 1843-53, is in this Dome. " It 
consists of an open circular crypt 20 ft. in depth and 
36 feet in diameter. In the middle is the sarcophagus 



390 RAMBLES EST EUJROPE. 

of the emperor, who was born in 1769, and died at St. 
Helena in 1821. His remains were brought to Paris 
in 1840." His coffin was hewn out of a solid piece of 
Siberian porphyry. The tomb is an elaborate affair. 
In a general way it resembles the tomb of Gen. Grant 
in New York a good deal, but is far grander. It is a 
beautiful monument. Here lie the remains of a great 
and cruel leader, whose ambition caused the death of 
several hundred thousand soldiers, and caused untold 
sorrow and misery. The question is, how does this 
man look at his life from his present point of view ? 
He was a great man, but in a bad sense. There are 
milUons of people, who, taken all in all, were greater 
than he, because they were good at heart, although the 
world never idolized them. 

There are two chapels in the building, one of which 
contains the coffins of Joseph Bonaparte, King of Spain, 
and of Jerome Bonaparte, King of Westphalia. In 
the building are also the tombs of Duroc and Bertrand, 
the Emperor's faithful friends ; the latter even shared 
his captivity at St. Helena. 

The famous Eiffel Tower is the highest structure in 
the world, and can be seen from all parts of Paris. It 
was erected by Mr. Eiffel in 1887-89. This enormous 
structure is 984 feet high, or nearly twice the height of 
the Washington Monument. The whole rests upon 
four great uprights which stand in an inclined position. 
There are three elevators, one above the other, to con- 
vey visitors to the top. Only two of our party ven- 
tured to make the ascent, but these felt amply repaid 
bv the wonderful view from the high place. The Eiffel 
Tower is now a station of the wireless telegraph system. 



VENDOME COLUMN. 391 

Monday, August 16, was a general holiday in Paris. 
All j)laces of business were closed, except the saloons. 
These are open every day in the year. The day was 
observed as the Feast of the Assumption, one of the 
numerous holy days set apart by the Roman Church. 
The Parisians observed the day in pleasure and drink- 
ing. Most of them evidently care little or nothing for 
real religion. 

East of the Garden of the Tuileries is the Elysee 
Palace, now occupied by the President of the French 
Bepublic. It is surrounded by a large park, which is 
entirely enclosed. The President appears to live rather 
secluded. 

The Opera House, conspicuously located at the 
head of a five avenue, is the largest theatre in the 
world. Its erection was commenced in 1861 and fin- 
ished in 1874. Although a very large building, there 
are only 2,156 seats. The ground and building cost 
nearly ten million dollars. This place of amusement 
is patronized largely by the rich and fashionable. 

Among the numerous monuments in the city is the 
Vendome Column, towering 142 feet in the centre of a 
large square, where originally stood an equestrian statue 
of Louis XIV., which, however, gave way during the 
Ee volution to a Statue of Liberty. In 1806 the Sen- 
ate decided to erect the present column in honor of 
Napoleon I. It is an imitation of the Column of Tra- 
jan at Rome, but "is constructed of masonry encrusted 
with plates of bronze forming a spiral band nearly 900 
feet in length, on which are represented memorable 
scenes from the campaign of 1805.'' Many of the fig- 
ures are portraits. "The metal was obtained by melt- 



392 RAMBLES IN EUROPE. 

ing down 1,200 Russian and Austrian cannon. At the 
top is a statue of Napoleon I. in his imperial robes." 

There are numerous other monuments in various 
parts of Paris, but of these we shall mention only 
those erected in memory of the following persons : 
Charlemagne, one of the early kings of France ; Ben- 
jamin Franklin, the American statesman ; Joan of Arc, 
the girl of Orleans, who in 1429 led the French army 
to victory against the English ; Gen. Lafayette, who 
aided the Americans in gaining their independence 
from England ; Napoleon I., Emperor of the French ; 
Shakespeare, the English dramatist ; Victor Hugo, the 
poet ; Washington, the American patriot. 

We spent one afternoon in visiting the Royal Palace 
at Versailles, eleven miles southwest of Paris. The 
trip, made by automobile, was delightful in every way. 
This palace was the famous residence of Louis XIV. 
The King took up his residence here on May 6, 1682. 
The palace had been erected in sections at various 
times, but was still too small ; therefore another wing 
was added. It has been estimated that the cost of the 
great palace was one hundred million dollars, and 
the annual cost of maintenance about one-half million 
dollars. It is no longer occupied, but still it costs 
over $100,000 a year to maintain it. 

The palace had room for 10,000 inmates. It is 
3,175 feet long and has 375 windows. The court of 
Louis XIV. consisted of 5,000 persons. This ruler 
and his successors resided here in great splendor until 
1789, when a mob compelled Louis XVI. to take up 
his residence at the Tuileries in Paris. Since that time 
the palace at Versailles has not been used as a royal 



PALACE AT VEKSAILLES. S93 

residence. In this palace was signed the treaty of 
peace between England and the United States in 1783, 
after the Revolutionary War. 

A guide conducted us through the immense estab- 
lishment until both eyes and limbs were weary. The 
largest and most gorgeously decorated room is the so- 
called " Galerie des Glaces/' which is 235 feet long 
and 35 feet wide. There are 17 large windows and 
opposite these the same number of bevelled mirrors. 
In this beautiful room King William of Prussia was 
proclaimed Emperor of Germany on Jan. 18, 1871, after 
the French armies had been defeated. The Prussian 
monarch lived in this palace during the siege of Paris. 
During the siege of Paris, from September, 1870, until 
January 28, 1871, Versailles was the headquarters of 
the German army. 

One of the most interesting rooms is the bed- 
chamber of Louis XIV., and the bed in which he died 
on Sept. 1, 1715, after ruling 72 years. The room is 
substantially the same as he left it. Another room 
contains the writing table of the great king. In one 
of the rooms the king had the custom of washing the 
feet of thirteen poor children on Maundy Thursday in 
the presence of the clergy. 

Louis XIV. turned fourteen rooms into one and 
called it the Gallery of Battles. The two lateral walls 
are decorated with fine paintings of celebrated battles, 
including among others the siege of Yorktown. The 
palace, as a matter of course, abounds in paintings, 
besides numerous tapestries. Some of the latter are 
made of silk and gold. Among the portraits is that 
26 



394 EAMBLES IX EUROPE. 

of Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon I'll., who is still 
Kving in England at the age of 83 years. 

The royal stables in the time of Louis XIV. con- 
tained 2,500 horses for the use of his large court. 

Near the palace are two ** Trianon " — villas used 
bv the Queens of France. These are beautiful little 
palaces, finely furnished and decorated. In the Large 
Trianon is an oak table, the top of which is a solid 
piece of wood, over nine feet in diameter. In another 
room Marshal Bazaine was tried and found guilty of 
treason in 1873, after the war with Grermany. He was 
sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, but escaped and 
fled to Spain, where he died. Bazaine surrendered the 
French army at Metz on October 27, 1870. Three 
marshals, 6,000 officers and 173,000 soldiers became 
prisoners of the Germans. Another room contains a 
Roman mosaic table presented by Pope Pius VII. to 
Xapoleon I. The Smaller Trianon was a favorite rest- 
ing place for Queen Marie Antoinette. Empress Marie 
Louise also sojourned here occasionally. The bedroom 
of the former is preserved. 

In connection with these places is a small museum, 
in which a number of state carriages are preserved. 
Here is the wedding carriage of Louis XVI. and Ma- 
rie Louise ; also the coronation carriage of Napoleon 
L, for six horses. Another carriage said to weigh seven 
tons and to have cost $200,000, was drawn by eight 
horses. All of these vehicles are richly embellished 
with gold. The harness is also plated with gold and 
silver. 

The town of Versailles, which has a population of 
over 50,000, is regularly laid out and contains many 



FOOD FOR PARIS. 395 

fine residences. It is surrounded hj parks, which are 
said to have an area of 12,000] acres. 

It takes an enormous quantity'of^food to feed the 
population of a city like Paris. I ; have i before me a 
report which states that the city*consumes;;[ever7 year 
about 252,000 tons of meat (including Jabout 60,000 
tons of horeflesh and 1,400 tons of meat obtained from 
mules and donkeys), 20,000 Itons ;of poultry, 23,000 
tons of fish, 9,000 tons of oysters, 18,000 tons of vege- 
tables, 19,000 tons of fruit, 17,000 tons of Jcheese, 13,- 
000 tons of butter, 21,000 tons of eggs, etc. 



CHAPTER XXIV.— HOMEWARD* 




E concluded our tour of Europe at Paris* 
We left that city by special train for 
Cherbourg, France, where we embarked 
on the steamer "Teutonic" for New 
York. We were grateful that our tour 
was not marred by illness or accident 
to either one of our party. 

There was a large crowd of tourists 
at the station in Paris and each one was 
eager to get on the special train. Missing that train 
would have meant missing the steamer. The majority 
of the tourists were ladies, and there seemed to be no 
end to their baggage— trunks, boxes, valises, etc. One 
lady had a round box about three feet in diameter. 
We concluded that it contained a new hat after the 
latest Paris fashion. 

Our homeward voyage was without special events. 
The only unpleasant experience on the part of the 
writer was an attack of sea sickness, which lasted sev- 
eral days. Fully one-fourth of the passengers were 
more or less affected by it. The only satisfaction we 
had from the affliction was the knowledge what sea- 
sickness is. It is nothing to be desired. 

Besides a few ships and some birds we saw the 
spouting of two whales in the distance. This was some- 
thing new and we watched the scene as long as possible. 
The sea is a great world in itself, covering three 
times as much of the earth's surface as the land. It 
is difficult to appreciate its vastness. The depth of the 
sea varies greatly. At many places the water is so 



HOMEWARD. 397 

shallow that ships are wrecked, whilst elsewhere it is 
enormously deep. The deepest place so far discovered 
is near the island of Guam in the Ladrone Group, 
which belongs to the United States, where the water is 
almost six miles deep, sufficient to submerge the highest 
mountain in the world. As a rule the sea is cold. It 
has been calculated that 92 per cent, of the water has 
a temperature of less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but 
the Red Sea has the warmest water found anywhere — 
70 degrees. Everybody knows that sea- water is salty. 
In the Atlantic Ocean there are 81 pounds of salt in a 
ton of water, and in the Pacific Ocean 79, whilst in the 
Dead Sea there are 187. 

The first ocean steamship was the " Savannah," 
launched at Corlear's Hook, N. Y., in 1819. She was 
99 feet long and had a displacement of 300 tons. Her 
first trip, from Savannah to Liverpool, occupied 35 
days. The most recently launched ocean steamship, the 
" Olympic," is 882 feet long and of 45,000 tons ca- 
pacity. She can carry 5,600 persons. It is estimated 
that the engines of a first-class modern steamship de- 
velops as much power as 100,000 ancient oarsmen 
could produce. 

An ocean trip afibrds much time for meditation. 
One is apt to think of another voyage^ — the voyage of 
life on the sea of time. Occasionally the voyage seems 
long and tiresome. Like the fog on the sea, our 
spiritual outlook is sometimes beclouded, but God's 
spirit dissipates the clouds and brings forth spiritual 
sunshine. All on our ship had a definite destination 
before them. Probably all had dear friends awaiting 
their home-coming. How about life's voyage ? Some 



398 RAMBLES IN ETJROPE. 

seem to have no fixed destination. They are like drift- 
wood. To them it matters not where they will finally 
land, in heaven or perdition. How strange ! 

By and by the last day of life's voyage will come. 
The ship is nearing the haven of eternal joy and peace, 
for which people have been longing. They are eager 
to disembark. The ship is entering the harbor at sun- 
set and what a glorious sunset ! The horizon is radiant 
with glory. It is the prophecy of the rising of that 
Sun in the eternal morning which has healing in its 
wings, and which will never set. Our sainted friends 
on the shining shore are awaiting us. We can almost 
hear their exclamations of joy, as they see the blood- 
stained banner waving above the ship. *' Land, ho !" 
the passengers cry. 

But how about those who are aliens and strangers 
to grace ? Reader, is your citizenship in heaven ? 

Our good ship brought us safely to New York Bay 
late in the evening. As we passed along the southern 
shore of Long Island, the hundreds of electric lights 
at Rockaway Beach, Coney Island and other places 
presented a fine sight. We reached the Quarantine 
Station about midnight and remained there until the 
following morning, when the health officer boarded our 
ship. Fortunately no one on board was sick, so that 
our ship could pioceed to its dock in the city. After 
disembarking, our baggage was examined by the U. S. 
customs officers. After this had been done we pro- 
ceeded on our way rejoicing. We were once more in our 
native country, and in a few hours we were in our 
homes and in the midst of our loved ones. We had 
ended a most enjoyable trip and felt as perhaps never 
before that there is no place like home. 



HOMEWARD. 399 

The following lines were composed by Eev. John 
F. Moyer, the poet of o"ur party, in anticipation of our 
returning home : 

SAILING HOME. 

Itong we have wandered from land to land. 
And through many delights we have come ; 

But the ship has slipped the silver strand, 
And we have set sail for home. 

The Captain is on the bridge apart, 

The Pilot is at the wheel, 
And fast and strong the fiery heart 

Of the ship pounds on the keel. 

The billows are chasing on every side, 

And the ship is cutting the foam ; 
And merrily over the ocean's tide. 

We are speeding toward home. 

May peace and security sweetly call, 

As over the waves we roam, 
And may no frowning ills befall, 

As we go nearing home. 

And when the fairest land we see, 

Under the great blue dome, 
May ours the rich experience be, 

The best is getting home. 

And thus we sail life's mystic sea, 
And the storms and the breakers roar ; 

May Christ our faithful Pilot be, 
Till we reach the farther shore. 

And when our sainted friends we greet, 
And the crown and the rest have come ; 

May all our hearts the song repeat, 
The best is getting home. 



J^^nttBglttanta (S^rmati 



A Collection of Pennsylvania German Productions in 
Poetry and Prose* 



EDITED BY 

DANIEL MILLER, 

Author of ' 'History of Reformed Church in Reading, ' ' ' 'Karly 

History of Reformed Church," "Rambles in 

Europe," Ktc. 



TWO VOLUMES. 



Volume I. contains 45 poems by 12 authors, including Dr. 
H. Harbaugh, Dr. C. Z. Weiser, Dr. Geo. Mays, Dr. Bli Kel- 
ler, Dr. F. R. Brunner, H. ly. Fisher, Rev. John Vogt, Dr. T. 
J. B. Rhoads, Dr. I. n. Graeff, P. F. Bisenbrown, Rev. J. S. 
Dubbs and Prof. D. B. Brunner; and 58 articles in prose. Vol- 
ume II. contains a vocabulary of 1,200 words in Bnglish trans- 
lated into Pennsylvania German and German; 39 poems by 
some 25 authors, including Rev. B. Rondthaler, Dr. H. Har- 
baugh, Conrad Weiser, Rev. Isaac S. Stahr, Dr. Bli Keller, 
Dr. F. R. Brunner, Rev. D. B. Shuey, Dr. B. Grumbine, Dr. 
T. J. B. Rhoads, Mr. C. G. Blatt, Miss R. Bahn, Dr. Geo. 
Mays, Rev. Robert lyisberger, I^ee h. Grumbine, Prof. D. B. 
Brunner, Rev. W. T. Gerhard, B. M. Bshelman, Dr. J. h. 
Mengel, etc. ; a collection of 140 Pennsylvania German Prov- 
erbs, biographical sketches and portraits of the ten Pennsylva- 
nia German Governors of Pennsylvania, and 23 articles in the 
dialect by Daniel Miller, besides 8 illustrations. 

Volume I. contains 296 pages. Volume II. contains 265 
pages. Price of each volume, one dollar, postpaid. 

Address, 

DANIEL MIUER, Pnblisher, 

READINQ, PA. 



Y 23 »^«» 



One copy del. to Cat. Div. 

MAY 23 ^tf,l 



'■•'f 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS] 

020 657 335 




